JULIE'S KINDERGARTEN. 



Little Julie and her brother Ned left 

 home in the middle of winter to go South 

 with their Mama. It was snowing and 

 very cold when they kissed their Papa 

 goodbye at the train. But when they 

 reached their Uncle Robert's home, in 

 Florida, they could not think it was 

 winter any longer : the flowers bloomed 

 everywhere out of doors, bright birds 

 sang and flitted among the roses, and 

 big butterflies, golden like the jessamine, 

 floated from blossom to blossom. 



Ned was quite as tired as his little sis- 

 ter, after their two days of travel ; so, 

 when the two had been kissed and wel- 

 comed by their Uncle and Aunt, they 

 were quite ready for their warm baths 

 and pleasant beds. 



Next morning, Julie woke up and was 

 dressed while Ned was still dreaming. 

 He was awakened by hearing her clap 

 her hands and cry delightedly : ''O, Ned- 

 die, do get up quick and come here! 

 There are just no end of Christmas trees 

 standing out in front of the house. Uncle 

 Robert must have had them put up be- 

 cause we were coming. They are big, 

 and a most beautiful green, and they 

 shine all over, but I can't see where the 

 candles are. And they are already strung 

 with rows and bunches of the loveliest 

 oranges !" Rut the little folks were still 

 more delighted when they learned that 

 Julie's Christmas trees were real orange- 

 trees, with the beautiful fruit growing on 

 them. Ned was not slow to accept Aunt 

 Bella's invitation to help himself to the 

 oranges, and even Julie's small hands 

 reached up and gathered one that grew 

 on the lowest bough. 



Uncle Robert's home was on Clear- 

 water Harbor, perhaps the most beauti- 

 ful of the small bays opening into the 

 Gulf of Mexico. His big garden sloped 

 down to a hedge of tall oleanders over- 

 looking the bright water. Some steps 

 led from the terrace where the oleanders 

 grew to a strip of beach that was some- 



times white and shining in the sunlight, 

 and sometimes entirely covered by beat- 

 ing waves. Ned's mother explained to 

 him how the tides come and go, and 

 being able to understand something of 

 this most wonderful fact in creation 

 added greatly to the boy's enjoyment of 

 the beach and the bay. 



To the two children fresh from the 

 city, there was unending delight in the 

 freedom of the seashore, as well as its 

 beauty. The wide stretch of waters 

 danced before their happy eyes ; the white 

 sails came and went in the distance, while 

 the white gulls came and went, either 

 close at hand or far away, and now and 

 then a great grey pelican or a screaming 

 osprey would fly over their heads. When 

 they played on the beach at ebb-tide, the 

 shining sand was soft and dry, while 

 beautiful shells were frequently found, 

 left stranded by the last high tide. But 

 to Ned, the best pleasure of the beaoh 

 was crabbing ; he was soi fond of it, that 

 Uncle Robert gave him a light crab-net 

 for his very own, and the proud boy 

 carried this to the beach as regularly as 

 Julie did her bucket and shovel. 



"Hush, Julie !" Ned would say, as they 

 came down the walk tO' the terrace. 

 Now, stand still behind the oleander- 

 limb until I can slip dow^n and search for 

 crabs. They might see you. Besides, 

 you know you'll squeal when I land one, 

 and that will make all the others hide." 



Julie was at first very willing to stand 

 there ; she w^as slow to become acquainted 

 with the crabs, or to enjoy any nearnenss 

 to them. 



"They've got so many legs and such 

 different kinds, Neddie," she would say, 

 depreciatingly; *'and they can run so 

 many ways at nearly the same time. Be- 

 sides, I don't like the way they poke out 

 their eyes at me. I'm glad to stay up 

 on the top step until you run them all 

 away." 



