TOM'S GRAND MANNERS 



"Yes/' he said, " the best ever a man had/' 

 We are glad to think that friendship was with him all 

 through and at the end. In one of the last letters ever 

 received from the doomed Antarctic Expedition the tribute 

 5s paid again : " No words of mine/' writes he, " can 

 describe what he is." 



The birds have eaten every single bud on our baby almond 

 trees the first year that they have had any flower buds at 

 all. Ungrateful little wretches ! the Master of 

 the Villino sees personally to the replenishing 

 of the numerous bird-baths and drinking- 

 pans/ and Juvenal provides them with 

 cocoa-nuts filled with lard and baskets full 

 of crumbs aided by Gold-Else, the cook, 

 who loves little creatures in fur and 

 feather as much as the rest of the 

 household. Tom, the old cat, is very 

 happy under this lady's kind rule, 

 and, to show his appreciation, 

 accompanies her in stately fashion 

 every night up the kitchen stairs 

 to her bedroom door. The act 

 of courtesy accomplished, she as 

 solemnly reconducts him down- 

 stairs again to spread his couch for him a sheet of brown 

 paper, by his request. 



The Hyacinths are breaking out of their green hoods, 

 shaking blue bells / but our Scillas seem to be going to dis- 



37 



