II. 



THE MERMAID'S TEA SERVICE. 



Natttee reveals most wonderful secrets to 

 those who love her. TTndine, bending over 

 her treasures with glowing face, uttered many 

 an exclamation of surprise and delight as she 

 discovered new friends, or had charming se- 

 crets revealed to her from the lips of old. 



She amused herself by arranging upon her 

 tray a score or more of shells, delicately tinted, 

 fair and shining as the rarest china, and not 

 very dissimilar in shape to many of the dainty 

 dishes of the day. 



" Come, Cousin Ellen," she exclaimed, " and 

 see my mermaid's tea service ! " 



" Others than the Nereids have eaten and 

 drank from beautiful vessels like these," said 

 her cousin. "This," she continued taking a 

 shell from the tray, "is a Pecten, or scallop. 

 One variety of Pecten served as a drinking 

 cup in early times, and when the ancient chief- 

 tain, Ossian, with his lordly guests, ' struck his 



13 



