ious jugs of blue delf; a distaff, with the flax still
attached, and on the broad door-step sat the prettiest little
blue-eyed maiden, wearing a quaint white cap over her yellow locks, a
striped kirtle and black waist over a snowy blouse. Like a picture she
sat, eating her oat-cake, while tame gray and white doves circled
about her or lit on the stones, hoping to get a crumb. Farther on, we
stopped at a more pretentious house, called a Swiss chalet, to buy a
drink of goat's milk. Here they were quite well-to-do gardeners; and
while the peasant wife was gone for the milk, the little daughter, who
was rather sweetly dressed, and was very bright and talkative, showed
us, with much pride, the heap of garden produce her father was to take
to market, early the next morning. A pretty sight it was too--the
great wooden table, loaded with the fresh greens and reds of the
vegetables, and at one end, guarded by a tall pewter flagon, polished
till it glowed like silver; an old oaken cabinet on the wall, bearing
glittering decanters and brass candle sticks; the chattering little
maiden, and over all, the golden rays of fading sun-light stealing
through the deep tiny-paned windows. We--ah, my darlings are asleep.

[Illustration: {A LITTLE GIRL SHOWING OFF GARDEN PRODUCE.}]

[Illustration: {A LITTLE BOY ASLEEP ON THE GROUND.}]

THE LESSON AFTER RECESS.

A bright little urchin out west,
Thought going to school was a pest.
He said, "I don't care,
I just won't stay there,
I'll have a good time like the rest."

He said, "I'll run off at recess,
They'll never once miss me, I guess;
A fellow can't stop
When he's got a new top.
There'll just be one good scholar less."

Now the "rest" was a crowd of rough boys,
Who with rudeness and mischief and noise,
Made one afraid
To go where they played,
But their riotous play he enjoys.

So away from his lessons he ran,
This promising western young man.
They pushed him down flat,
Tore the rim off his hat,
Said, "There's nothing so healthy as tan."

And they did what was very much worse;
They stole his new knife and his purse.
They gave him a shake,
And they called him a "cake;"
Said, "Next time, bub, come with your nurse."

Near sundown this urchin was found
Fast asleep on some very hard ground;
He looked tired and grieved;
He'd been so