262 
ing blossom, and to find out what sort of eggs were in 
the nest that I knew must be near at hand, for the 
mother bird let out her secret by her frightened clucking. 
Well, I have taken just such a walk; and on going 
into the house I have felt as if I were obliged to put 
aside a book of enchanting fairy stories, or rather as if 
I were turning my back on fairyland itself, with all its 
wonderful sights and sounds and adventures. 
And then what has happened? 
Why, some child (it has not always been a child) has 
come in, and I have said, ‘“‘ Was not-that a fine walk? 
What did you see along that lovely road ?” 
Now, if he was a boy (for I want to be quite fair), he 
probably had seen the rabbit and given it chase; and it 
is more than likely that he had stopped long enough to 
chuck a stone at the squirrel; and if the mother bird 
had not finished with her foolish chatter, I fear he gave 
her some evil moments by hunting for her nest, with no 
good intentions. But if, fortunately for them, he had 
met none of these creatures, he probably looked at 
me in surprise, and answered by look, if not by words, 
“No, I thought it a long, stupid walk. I did not see 
a thing.” , 
And if it was a girl, I fear the answer, silent or 
spoken, was much the same. 
Now, I say that boy or girl must have been partly 
blind to have missed seeing those wonderful flowers, | 
and butterflies, and bees, and birds, and many other in- 
teresting things which I have not time here to tell 
about. Certainly they were not using their eyes prop- 
erly; and the longer they go about in such a way, 
