, we
must run home to tea."

But Tommy Abbott, who had built a most wonderful Chicago, begged for a
match to burn his city with. So the children gathered a heap of sticks
and dry leaves; and Tommy set fire to the pile, and up and away flamed
the beautiful city. Then we all went up to the hotel together, and very
soon tea was ready; and it was a wonderful thing to see how the children
disposed of bread and milk, baked sweet apples, and gingerbread.

After we went up to our room, I wrote this story, and read it to Neddy.
How his eyes sparkled with delight! "It's just as true as I live, every
word of it," he said as I finished.

[Illustration]

"But, mamma, you forgot little Rose Ellsworth's town. She made a real
hill, and covered it with grass, and dotted it all over with violets;
and Daisy lent her a cow from her 'Noah's Ark;' and we made it stand up
under a tree, and, if it had only whisked its tail, it would have looked
almost alive.

"I think, mamma," he continued, "that Rose is the nicest little girl
here. I've painted her picture in my album."

So I was not surprised, while looking over Neddy's pictures, to see that
he had wasted a great deal of paint in trying to display Rose's pink
cheeks and lovely golden hair: He had painted her cheeks redder than the
reddest cherries you ever saw.

S. B. T.

[Illustration]

SURF-BATHING AT CONEY ISLAND.

Coney Island, about eight miles from the city of New York, is four and a
half miles long and about half a mile in width. It is quite a resort in
summer for those who want to breathe the briny air of the ocean.

Charles and Laura had long been promised a visit to this famous
bathing-place, and one warm day in June their father drove them down to
the island; for there is a bridge connecting it with the main land.

As they drove along the beach, they saw the bathers in the water, and
Charles was very desirous of having a dip in the salt sea himself; but
he had no bathing-dress, and so he had to give it up.

It is very pleasant on a fine day in summer to stand on the beach, and
watch the waves as they come foaming up. The children were much
entertained at seeing a Newfoundland dog rush into the water after a
stick which his master would throw far out.

They will long remember their pleasant visit to Coney Island; but the
next time they go, they mean to take their bathing-dresses and have a
swim.

F. H. W.

[Illustration]

A FUNNY FA