282 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



were some of the introductions that went on ; but 

 it was some time before they could fix in their 

 memory the right names to the right faces. 



A game had been going on when they entered ; 

 and after the rules of it had been explained to 

 them, they were able to overcome their bashful- 

 ness, and join in it. It was, "What is my 

 thought like ? " And when it came to Fanny's 

 turn to be asked this question, she said, " An old 

 shoe ;" so that she was dreadfully puzzled when 

 she found that " a whale " was the subject of the 

 thought, and she had to find out why it was 

 like an old shoe. She got out of it famously, 

 however, after a little thought. " A shoe had a 

 sole," she said; " a sole was a fish — and so was 

 a whale ! " This was thought a very good 

 answer j and so was Herbert's, when he found 

 out that a whale was like the moon, because 



but I will leave my young readers 



to find out why. 



After some rounds of the game had been 

 played, and the party were warmed up into some- 

 thing like merriment and sociability, tea was 

 announced ; and every one went into the dining- 

 room, where a large table was set out, large 

 enough for the whole party to sit round, with 

 tea-things at each end, and an infinite variety of 

 bread-and-butter and cakes in the middle. The 

 tea-drinking was rather a long operation, and 

 everybody was glad when at last it was over, and 

 the whole party went into the garden. 



Such a large party of young people spread over 

 the smooth lawn, amidst the gay flower-beds, 

 looked very pretty, and the white-frocked little 

 girls running about, seemed like so many butter- 

 flies ! When they had seen all that was to be 

 looked at in garden or greenhouse, and everybody 

 had had a swing on the Dutch swing, which they 

 did, crowding it like a boatful of shipwrecked 

 sailors, they returned to the lawn again, and the 

 grown-up young lady helped them to form into 

 games. At first they had a famous game of 

 " Tiercely," called by some " Fox and Geese ;" 

 and then they played at " French and English ; " 

 but this proving rather mischievous to the frocks, 

 some quieter games were adopted. Last of all, 

 as the twilight came on, they had a famous game 

 of " Hide and Seek ;" but in playing at this, little 

 Margaret had a most curious adventure. Some 

 one was to hide in some part of the garden, and 

 the person who found the hidden one was to be 

 the next hider. Several hidings were very good, 

 and a long time was spent before they were found 

 out ; and then it came to Margaret's turn to hide, 

 she having found Willie in the middle of a row of 

 peas in the kitchen-garden. After seeking about 

 for some nook to get into, Margaret at last, 

 finding the door of the greenhouse open, ensconced 

 herself in it ; crouching down behind the large tub, 

 in which an orange-tree was planted. Now it 

 happened that, soon after she left the rest of the 

 party, Mrs. Campbell came out to suggest that, 

 as it was getting cool and dark, the party should 

 come in and have a dance in the drawing-room. 

 Everybody was very ready for this ; and quite for- 

 getting that Margaret had gone away to hide, it 

 somehow happened, in the bustle of taking places 

 and getting partners, that no one missed her. 

 After the first dance was over, it ought to be 

 mentioned that Fanny did think of her sister ; 



but as some of the little ones who did not want to 

 dance had been taken up stairs to see a large doll's- 

 house belonging to Jessie Campbell, she concluded 

 that she was amongst them. Other dances were 

 formed ; and between these the grown-up young 

 lady sang some droll songs. 



All this while poor little Margaret was in her 

 hiding-place ! She had, however, long before 

 began to suspect that no one was looking for her ; 

 but just as she had made up her mind to come 

 forth from her corner, Mr. Campbell, who w T as 

 taking a walk in the garden, on finding the door 

 of the greenhouse open, not only shut it, but 

 locked it ! Poor Margaret heard the key turn 

 upon her, and sprung forward to make herself 

 seen and heard ; but it was too late, and she saw 

 Mr. Campbell vanish round a turn in the shrubbery 

 walk ! She had at first a hard struggle to keep 

 from crying, for she fancied that she should be 

 left there all night ; but, after another moment's 

 thought, she felt sure that some of the party would 

 remember her, and come in search of her ; so she 

 took courage, and waited as patiently as she could, 

 until the time should come for being let out of her 

 prison. 



Meanwhile, the dancing and singing being 

 ended, it occurred to Fanny that it must be near 

 the time for their being fetched, so she looked 

 round the room for her brothers and sisters ; and 

 again missing Margaret, she went to Herbert^ 

 who was in a corner of the room at a table looking 

 at some prints, and asked him if he knew where 

 Margaret was. Herbert did not know, and was 

 surprised she had not been dancing. Willie was 

 then asked, and he did not know ; so that they 

 became quite alarmed. As soon, however, as 

 Alice Campbell heard what was the matter, she 

 instantly remembered Margaret's going away to 

 hide herself, before they all came in. 



" Poor little Margaret ! " was the exclamation 

 of all, and in great distress they ran out to look 

 for her. Presently Mr. Campbell was told what 

 was the matter, and remembered the circumstance 

 of his locking the greenhouse door, and it oc- 

 curred to everybody that most probably Mar- 

 garet was there. The key was fetched, and in a 

 few minutes the poor little patient prisoner was 

 let out of her confinement. 



"Poor dear Margaret," said Fanny, kissing her, 

 " how miserable you must have been ! How I 

 wish, too, that you had not missed all the dancing 

 and nice songs!" and between Alice and Fanny 

 she was led back to the house. 



Of course every one reproached themselves that 

 the little girl had been so forgotten, and many and 

 loud were the regrets at her evening having been 

 so spoiled, as they said ; but Margaret was so good- 

 natured about it that she helped to stop all the 

 lamentations, and the merriment of the party 

 was soon restored again. 



Quite out of compliment to Margaret, and to 

 make amends for her lost dancing, a merry 

 country-dance was proposed, in which every one 

 joined ; and nurse, who had arrived to fetch them 

 home, was sent back with a petition for leave to 

 stay another hour. When the dance was over, 

 supper was announced, and the party assembled 

 again round the large table for a repast of cakes 

 and fruit, custards and creams, and all manner 

 of good things ; and after this came the leave- 



