FURRED AND FEATHERED YOUNGSTERS. 17 



out, looks round, and then ventures out, runs a 

 yard or two, plumps off the bank, swims along the 

 edge of it, then dives and enters the passage under 

 the water, to make his appearance once more at the 

 top hole. This is only to convince himself that 

 no enemy or enemies are near his small domain. 

 Then he sits up, gives his whiskers a trim up, and 

 out glide his small family, their mother bringing 

 up the rear. They are sleek -looking innocent 

 creatures ; some of them try their milk-teeth at 

 grass-cutting, but their parents cut for them, and 

 the little creatures feed on the tender parts. 



We are in the leafy month of June. It is dinner- 

 time at the home farm, — this particular farm being 

 one that supplies the mansion of a large estate. 



We hear the tramp of the horses and the rattle 

 of their harness, as they pass into the yard on their 

 way to the stables to have their mid-day feed. 

 Through the open kitchen we can see the table 

 set out for the farm hands. From the old-fashioned 

 garden comes the hum of bees about their hives ; 

 outside, on stakes in front of the door, are the 

 dairy pails, scoured to the utmost degree of purity ; as 

 to the pans, it makes your eyes blink to look at them, 



B 



