d the now empty meal-sacks; but more than this,
there were four pretty little lads, each leading the bonniest,
cleanest little calf ever seen. What, however, made Onkel Johann rub
his hands with glee and give a big chuckle was the sight of a great
black ox, wearing, instead of the usual verdant wreath round its neck,
a real cow's crown. It was as ludicrous in his eyes as the sight of
some sober gentleman in a Parisian bonnet would be in ours. Such jokes
seemed rife amongst the senners, for later on another black ox, in a
fresh but smaller herd, tramped along with a rosette of scarlet ribbon
on its head. The herdsman, seeing us smile, adjusted the ends as
carefully as a lady's maid would put the last finishing-touches to
the toilet of her mistress. That was the final stroke to Hansel's
hilarity.

That night the presents were given amidst endless expressions of
surprise and affectionate gratitude, which were brought to a climax by
E--'s kind mother presenting Kathi with a pair of china vases adorned
with carefully painted clusters of flowers. They brought great tears
of admiration into the good soul's eyes. She vowed she would treasure
them as long as she lived, and then they should be Moidel's. As
soon as our plots were revealed, we found that counterplots had been
carried on by the Hof family. Thus, Jakob had managed a clandestine
journey from the Olm to Bruneck, and met Anton there, where they had
both been photographed expressly for the Herrschaft, occasioning Anton
to blush up to the roots of his hair when he, with a smile on his
slightly pathetic face, presented each of us, as he said, with "a
very humble _Andenken_". Thus, too, a great many flowers with which to
laden us had been carefully tended through this inclement season. The
next morning, carrying away flowers and good wishes, and filled with
thoughts of mingled pleasure and pain, we bade adieu to the quaint,
quiet pastoral Hof, to arrive at nightfall in the fortified Italian
city of Verona.

MARGARET HOWITT

UNSAID.

For days and weeks upon the lip has hung
A precious something for an absent ear--
Some tender confidence but lately sprung,
Some dear confession that but one must hear.

The heart repeats it over day by day,
And fancies how and when the words will fall--
What answering smile upon the face will play,
What tender light will linger over all.

But eager eyes that watch for one alone
May grow reluctant