m and wrote about frogs, and fishes, and so
on. He stayed at Page's, and used to want me to go and help him, and it
was great fun, 'cause he told me ever so much, and was uncommon jolly
and wise. Hope I'll see him again sometime."

"I hope you will," said Mrs. Jo, for Dan's face had brightened up, and
he was so interested in the matter that he forgot his usual taciturnity.

"Why, he could make birds come to him, and rabbits and squirrels didn't
mind him any more than if he was a tree. Did you ever tickle a lizard
with a straw?" asked Dan, eagerly.

"No, but I should like to try it."

"Well, I've done it, and it's so funny to see 'em turn over and stretch
out, they like it so much. Mr. Hyde used to do it; and he'd make snakes
listen to him while he whistled, and he knew just when certain flowers
would blow, and bees wouldn't sting him, and he'd tell the wonderfullest
things about fish and flies, and the Indians and the rocks."

"I think you were so fond of going with Mr. Hyde, you rather neglected
Mr. Page," said Mrs. Jo, slyly.

"Yes, I did; I hated to have to weed and hoe when I might be tramping
round with Mr. Hyde. Page thought such things silly, and called Mr. Hyde
crazy because he'd lay hours watching a trout or a bird."

"Suppose you say lie instead of lay, it is better grammar," said Mrs.
Jo, very gently; and then added, "Yes, Page is a thorough farmer, and
would not understand that a naturalist's work was just as interesting,
and perhaps just as important as his own. Now, Dan, if you really love
these things, as I think you do, and I am glad to see it, you shall have
time to study them and books to help you; but I want you to do something
besides, and to do it faithfully, else you will be sorry by and by, and
find that you have got to begin again."

"Yes, ma'am," said Dan, meekly, and looked a little scared by the
serious tone of the last remarks, for he hated books, yet had evidently
made up his mind to study anything she proposed.

"Do you see that cabinet with twelve drawers in it?" was the next very
unexpected question.

Dan did see two tall old-fashioned ones standing on either side of the
piano; he knew them well, and had often seen nice bits of string, nails,
brown paper, and such useful matters come out of the various drawers. He
nodded and smiled. Mrs. Jo went on,

"Well, don't you think those drawers would be good places to put your
eggs, and stones, and shells, and lichens?"

"Oh, splend