under a thick oak. The oak stood
alone on a knoll looking over a beautiful spread of grassy sward that
sloped and rolled away to a distant edge of thicket. Other noble trees
dotted the ground here and there; some fine cattle shewed their red and
white heads, standing or lying about in the shade. Above the distant
thicket, far, far away, rose the heads of great blue mountains. The
grass had just been mown, in part; and a very sweet smell from the hay
floated about under the trees around the house. Daisy's tree however was
at some distance from the house. In the absolute sweet quiet, Daisy and
her Bible took possession of the place. The Bible had grown a wonderful
book to her now. It was the book of the commandments of the Great King
whose servant she felt herself. Now every word would tell her of
something she must do, or not do; all sweet to Daisy; for she felt she
loved the King, and his commandments were good to her. This time she got
very much interested in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, in the
parable of the talents. But she wished she could have had Mr. Dinwiddie
to tell her a little better exactly what it meant. Some of its meaning
she understood; and remembering Mr. Dinwiddie's words, she prayed with
clasped hands and a very earnest little heart, that the Lord would "make
her know what all her talents were and help her to make good use of
them." Then Daisy went on studying.

In the midst of her studies, a light step bounded down through the
shrubbery from the house, and Daisy had hardly raised her head when Nora
was at her side. There was room for her on the seat, and after a glad
greeting the children sat down together, to talk much joyful talk and
tell childish news, in the course of which Daisy's perplexities came
out, for which she had wanted Nora's counsel. She explained that she
could have precisely what she chose, in the way of merry-making for her
birthday. Daisy spoke about it seriously, as a weighty and important
matter; and so Nora took it up, with a face of great eagerness.

"You can have _just_ what you like, Daisy?" Daisy nodded. "O what have
you thought of, Daisy?"

"What would be nicest, Nora?"

"I'll tell you what _I_ should have--I should have a party."

"A party!"

"Yes, that is what _I_ should have."

"I never thought of that. Who would you ask, Nora? I thought of a
pic-nic; and of a great journey to Schroeder's Mountain;--that would be
nice;--to spend the whole day, you know."