44 THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 



bathing, racing, songs and shouts and uproar- 

 ious laughter at just nothing at all — a wild, free 

 and happy mob of seven boys. Go again? 

 Yes! A hundred times over if need were. 

 Such a happy little crowd, such buoyant life, 

 strenuous life, life at white heat, life tingling 

 to the very tips of fingers and toes and tongue 

 — the sight of it all and a share in it all com- 

 pensation ample. At last, home safe, and a 

 lot of mother anxiety unloaded, and such a sup- 

 per and such stories of sights and scenes of ex- 

 periences; and then what dreams of boys and 

 boats and fish, etc., etc. 



Quiet enough by and bye, for September is 

 coming and will call them away to school and 

 office and home. But what color they have put 

 on, what restful, happy looks they wear, how 

 hearty in mind and body, eager for the ham- 

 mocks or Lionel or their mates, or, catching 

 sight of me, plead for a story. 



"A story, well what shall it be about?" "Oh, 

 give us another chapter of 'Jock and Tille.' 

 This "Jock and Tille story" was all about two 

 well-behaved rats and their children, told in 

 installments when their mothers were mere 

 lassies, a generation ago, and still they serve for 

 amusement and instruction and some day, not 



