i66 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



At that distance from the village the boy was allowed, 

 after a good deal of bother about it, to learn his letters 

 at home. If the weather was fine, those two would be 

 up and have breakfast very early, then, taking their 

 dinner in a little basket, would go to the heath, and 

 she would see no more of them till about five o'clock 

 in the afternoon. The boy was always fondest of birds 

 and animals, like his father, and was happy following 

 and watching them all day long. The girl loved the 

 flowers best, and whenever she found a flower that was 

 rare or wholly new to her she would cry out with joy 

 and make as much fuss as if she had found a splendid 

 jewel on the heath. She was a strong child, always the 

 picture of health, so that when she suddenly fell ill of 

 a fever it surprised and alarmed them greatly, and the 

 doctor was sent for. He didn't think it a serious case, 

 but he seemed doubtful about its nature, and in the end 

 he made a fatal mistake — ^he himself said it was a mistake. 

 The crisis came, and the poor child got so bad that he 

 was sent for, but it was long to wait, and in the mean- 

 time something had to be done, and what she did was 

 to give it a hot bath. Then the fit passed, and with it 

 the fever, and the child went off in a quiet sleep with 

 every sign of returning health. Then came the doctor 

 and said the child was getting well — the right thing had 

 been done — but he must wake her up and give her a 

 draught. She begged him not to ; he insisted, and roused 

 and made the child drink, and no sooner had the little 

 thing swallowed the medicine than she fell back white 

 as ashes and was dead in a few minutes. 



