y as
strong as a young megalosaur, and in the water or on the rocks all day,
I don't think his head is come to application, nor his health to
bearing depression; and I see he dreads the return, so that he had
better stay away till school begins again.'

* * * * *

'July 7th.--Oh! you weak-minded folks! Now I know why you wanted to
keep me away--that you might yield yourselves a prey to Flora. Paper
and chintz forsooth! All I have to say is this, Miss Mary--as to my
room, touch it if you dare! I leave papa to protect his own study, but
for the rest, think, Mary, what your feelings would be if Harry were to
come home, and not know what room he was in! If I am to choose between
the patterns of chintz, I prefer the sea-weed variety, as in character
with things in general, and with the present occasion; and as to the
carpet, I hope that Flora, touched with our submission, will not send
us anything distressing.'

* * * * *

'July 17th.--Can you send me any more of the New Zealand letters? I
have copied out the whole provision I brought with me for the blank
book, and by the way have inoculated Leonard with such a missionary
fever as frightens me. To be sure, he is cut out for such work. He is
intended for a clergyman (on grounds of gentility, I fear), and is too
full of physical energy and enterprise to take readily to sober
parochial life. His ardour is a gallant thing, and his home ties not
binding; but it is not fair to take advantage of his present
inflammable state of enthusiasm, and the little we have said has been
taken up so fervently, that I have resolved on caution for the future.
It is foolish to make so much of a boy's eagerness, especially when
circumstances have brought him into an unnatural dreamy mood; and
probably these aspirations will pass away with the sound of the waves,
but they are pretty and endearing while they last in their force and
sincerity.

'"Just at the age 'twixt boy and youth,
When thought is speech, and speech is truth;"

'and one's heart beats at the thought of what is possible to creatures
of that age.'

* * * * *

'July 21st.--You, who taught us to love our Walter Scott next to our
"Christian Year," and who gave us half-crowns for rehearsing him when
other children were learning the Robin's Petition, what think you of
this poor boy Leonard knowing few of the novels a