--the happiness of running along those sands, of
picking up those shells for herself, of sitting with Dan in her arms and
letting the soft sea breezes blow over her face; then, as the waves came
nearer and nearer, the darting away with little screams of frightened
rapture. Oh! there never in all the world could be a second day like
this! Then, too, the baby himself entered into the fun, and the best of
the whole thing was that before the day was over the baby, the only baby
in the whole party, began to assume the airs of a master, for all the
children noticed him, and the ladies noticed him, and even the curates
and the rector noticed him, and they all said: "What a pale-faced and
yet what a sweet baby he is!"

And several offered to carry him, until Netty felt that he was quite a
diadem in her crown, and a most honourable and distinguished appendage.

"See," she whispered to Ben, in the height of her joy, "did you ever see
anything like the fuss they're making over our Dan? Wasn't I right to
bring him?"

"Oh! don't bother," cried Ben; "I'm going to play with some boys at the
other side of the beach, and won't be back for a couple of hours."

Plenty of food was given to the happy children, and they returned home
dead-tired, some of them half-asleep, but all with dreams of bliss which
would remain in their hearts for many a long day.

Perhaps of all the children who went to that school feast there was no
happier than Netty. She forgot her own wrong-doing in thinking of the
delightful scenes she had so lately witnessed, and fell asleep that
night holding the baby in her arms in a state of absolute bliss; but
alas! clouds were already coming over her sky.

Early in the morning she awoke to find that Dan was hot and restless.
Dan, although he had enjoyed himself vastly the day before, had not been
treated judiciously. The many sweet-meats that the children had insisted
on giving him had upset his baby digestion. He awoke peevish,
heavy-eyed, and highly feverish. Netty, who idolised him, went straight
to her Mother to ask her opinion with regard to him.

"He's not well," said Netty; "he's not well a bit. I had best go at once
and see the doctor, or take him round to the sixpenny dispensary."

Mrs. Floss turned towards the bed where the baby lay, pulled down the
clothes, and looked at him.

[Illustration: _There never in all the world could be a second day like
this!_]

"There's nothing the matter with the child,"