THE DAILY LIFE OF OUH FAEM. 41 



The birds twitter merrily ; the vagabond robin's 

 voice pre-eminent, for the selfish tramp knows his time 

 is come, and that kind gentle ladies will feel a morbid 

 compassion for this most spiteful and pugnacious of all 

 birds, and will feed the " poor thing" Avith the finest of 

 crumbs, just as in turn they wall pet that love Ned 

 Careless, of the Prince's Own. "Scarlet fever" in both 

 cases, n'est ce pas ? When will the ladies learn wis- 

 dom ? After all, would they be as charming if they did ? 

 The willow sprays glisten gaily in the sunlight, but are 

 as still as possible. Their long lithe fingers are, I 

 believe, frost-bitten, if they could only confess it. They 

 took off their winter gloves, and assumed '' spring 

 goods " too soon. Anyhow, their demeanour is hopeless 

 and sad enough, despite their bright attire. 



Halloa ! Look — there's a punt adrift, and left to its 

 own devices, for I can see no one in her. How she 

 veers and flounces down stream, like little missy in her 

 first crinoline — now this way, and that way — so gracefully 

 undulating all ! But there's something always to be 

 learnt from everybody and everything, so I'll just watch 

 this rejoicing craft's career on the flood, for I have been 

 often puzzled in my boat to know which way the cur- 

 rent actually does flow\ 



Ah ! I notice. I never knew that turn before. 

 How exceeding capricious — so short and sudden in its 

 change ! no wonder that with the lapse of ages this 

 wayward river hath wrought itself such an eccentric 

 course : whereupon it hath been christened the " Wind- 

 ing Wye." 



But swifter and swifter borne along, the object of our 

 contemplation has ceased to twist, and with her bows 

 bent down and her whole length craning forward, as a 



