vinal] an ill wind THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD 39 



"These here peas are moulding," observed Mother Hubbard to 

 her daughter Faith, as she slowly took one jar after another from 

 the shelf, "Such miserable weather!" Some would have said 

 ^' just my luck" but it comforted the fashionable lady's heart to lay 

 all the blame on the weather. Faith, however, took but little 

 interest in the matter. Her mother was always grumbing about 

 the east wind and her rheimiatic pains which should have been 

 called the gout. 



The door banged with great violence. It was a pity that 

 Mother Hubbard had placed some jars so near the edge of the table, 

 for, when the door was blown to, they fell with a crash, and mouldy 

 peas were strewn across the floor. 



And, "Do we meet once again?" said the Jar Spore to the Floor 

 Spore, in whose company he had traveled at preserving time. 

 "Do we meet once again?" How pleasant, indeed. "I have 

 not seen you since Mother Hubbard locked me up with the peas. 

 Well, well, well. Let me first ask how you are this morning ?" 



"Oh, pretty well," replied Floor Spore, "but very, very sad." 

 You have little cause to be sad. You have had some fine peas to 

 grow upon. But I ! Alas, the cruel wind has dried me up and I 

 never can grow again. Most of the merry little cousin spores 

 that played with us have dried up and died. What are you 

 smiling at?" 



"I am smiling," said the Jar Spore, "at your calling the Wind a 

 cruel being." 



"And why shouldn't I? Do I not well know?" asked the Floor 

 Spore? "I wonder. Floor Spore, what we do know! People are 

 very sure as to what they know and then they find out that it is a 

 mistake." 



"What makes you think that?" inquired Floor Spore. 



"I have learn' t it," replied Jar Spore" from an acquaintance I 

 have made here, — Mother Hubbard. She just said that the 

 weather caused the peas to mould and now — " 



Just at that moment the door opened. Faith came in and began 

 to look around with wide staring eyes. "Why mother," cried 

 the maiden, "What has happened?" 



"That horrid wind!" wept the mother in despair, as she threw 

 the dripping mass into the garbage pail. 



"Whew-w-w," said the Wind angrily. "It is always some one 

 else that is to blame. You called me horrid. Why did you open 

 the window and invite anything * horrid' to come in?" 



