266 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



contemptuously, and saw us off, or rather off and on 

 again, for we were driven ashore I don't know how 

 often during the first half-hour, ere we got off, by force 

 of wind and current. How oddly they strain their necks 

 out to meet a gust ! One could not help remarking 

 it. It is so inelegant in so graceful a bird. I suppose 

 it enables them to expose less surface to the impulse of 

 the wind. As we could not ascend the stream, the 

 little chap on landing made a merit of his mishap, and 

 emptied his pockets of his biscuits, which he threw in 

 morsels to the grateful birds, who, after much slobbering 

 and sucking, to soften, I presume, the too hard outside, 

 finally disposed of the floating feed. 



This reminds me that the tomtits are in luck, and the 

 linnets as well, for the Indian com, which one fancied 

 was, from its weight, proof against their purloining, 

 having been soaked in the rain, they get in holes and 

 comers, and against stones upon the walk, thereby 

 speedily managing to scoop the contents of the berry at 

 a destructive pace. All I can say is, the pheasant must 

 look out and feed faster. 



Oh ! such sadness pervading the whole household ; 

 the dear old pet terrier, Vic, is no more. For some 

 weeks she had been evidently ailing. She had also an 

 excessive weeping at the eyes. She seemed to have 

 caught cold through sleeping out one severe night on a 

 mat by the lodge-door. She had been jealous, too, of 

 another dog which had been imported into the school- 

 room, so for some weeks she honoured me in my study 

 with her presence, and used to sit so prettily gazing 

 into the fire, with her head upon her paws on the 

 fender. To the last she tried to follow the children 

 about, but had to be carried home one day, and another 



