LISTEN TO THE MOCKING-BIRD 



gravity, trying to veil my own exuberance. 

 &quot; We, Comrade ?&quot; 



&quot; Yes,&quot; said Comrade, &quot; but we can t. She s 

 going on a picnic, and I ve got to go with her.&quot; 



I intimated that picnics could wait circuses 

 never did. 



But it seems that the picnics of Spelldown are 

 arranged with consummate tact to offset the 

 circus. There are two churches in the town 

 the Methodist and the Dutch Reformed. They 

 wait till the advance agent of the show bills the 

 town and the cross-roads, then they sound their 

 clarion call to the two Sunday-schools to get ready 

 to take to the woods. The Methodists huddle 

 the children all out on one day and give them ice 

 cream enough to lay them up for the next day, 

 and then the Dutch Reformed drive out the other 

 battalion. In consequence of this ingenious ar 

 rangement, it is doubtful if any of the well-bred 

 children of Spelldown ever listened to the mock 

 ing-bird. 



&quot; So you have invited Charlie to your picnic ? &quot; 



&quot; I thought,&quot; replied Griselle, evasively, &quot; that 

 he would like to go with all the other children.&quot; 



&quot; I dare say.&quot; 



&quot; But he said he would have to speak to you 

 about it.&quot; 



&quot; What he meant was that it would be a good 

 idea to invite me too. But don t you think it 

 would be pleasanter if you accepted my invitation, 

 and we all went to the circus ? &quot; 



She declined promptly. There were reasons 



83 



