ort of accident," she said. "But let it be
a lesson to you, dear Dolly, never to do anything half in joke, or for
fun as it were, which could cause trouble to any one if it turned into
earnest."

There was some comfort in the thought that it was late autumn, and not
spring-time, so there was no fear of poor little Jenny Wren's death
leaving a nestful of tiny orphan fledglings. And Hector helped Dolly to
bury the bird in a quiet corner of the garden.

But all the same, Dolly has never liked catapults since that unlucky
day!

[Illustration]

A VERY LONG LANE OR LOST IN THE MIST

Have you ever been lost? Really lost. I mean to say have you ever had
the _feeling_ of being lost? It is rather a dreadful feeling. I had it
once and I have never forgotten it. I will tell you about it.

I was about fifteen at the time. We were living for some months in a
large country house belonging to relations of ours, in the west of
England. In that part of the world many of the roads are really only
narrow lanes, where two carriages cannot pass--it is very awkward indeed
sometimes, if you meet a cart or any vehicle at a narrow part. One or
other has to back ever so far, till you come to a gateway or to a little
outjut in the lane making it wider just there. And these lanes are sunk
down below the level of the fields at their sides, and there are high
hedges too, so that really you may drive for miles and miles and
scarcely know where you are. It is difficult to know your way even in
broad daylight--even the people who live there always, have often to
consult the finger-posts, of which, I must allow, there are plenty! And
for strangers or new-comers it is _very_ puzzling.

We got on pretty well however. My elder sisters drove about a great deal
in a jolly little two-wheeled pony cart, and as I was small and light, I
was often favoured with an invitation to accompany them, sitting in the
back seat, which was _not_ luxurious.

"It does very well for Thecla," my sisters used to say, "she is so thin.
And she's as handy as a boy about jumping out to open the gates."

I didn't mind--I was only too pleased to go, in any way, and rather
proud to be called handy.

So I got to know the country pretty well, and I would not have been
afraid, by daylight at least, to go a good distance alone.

One day some friends who lived about three miles off, came to luncheon
with us. There were two or three grown-up ladies, and a girl just about