come her, and the
little ones show how much they had grown in her absence, even the cat
and dog showing their delight that one they had missed was with them
again. Poor puss, and poor collie and terrier, I often wonder at _their_
dumb wonder and speculation as to what has become of their friends when
somebody in the house goes off and stays away a long while. They cannot
talk, but they purr or wag their tails, and all but laugh when the
friends return. Yes, girls, brace up, as your brothers say. A half-hour
at home will console you for the homesickness you suffer from when
absent. Keep up your courage, and at the worst remember that

"The darkest day,
Live till to-morrow will have passed away."

The woods are perfect dreams of beauty in these May days, and what with
the dogwood blossoms shining in starry splendor, and the laurel getting
ready to bloom, and the orchards drifting their pink-and-white blossoms
on the softly caressing winds, the world is a beautiful place. Be on the
lookout for exquisite things and you will surely find them. It is a pity
to go blindly through so much splendor. Use your eyes and _observe_;
every day will show you something new.

Did you ever notice how cunningly some birds hide their nests, weaving
them of twigs just the color of the ground, and then sitting on their
eggs almost in your sight, yet so unobtrusively that you discover them
only by accident? The little sociable wrens, less timid and more
friendly, build their nests by the very house door, and are not afraid
to let you have a peep at their pretty housekeeping. Birds are
interesting neighbors to my mind.

Anna C. asks what you must have at an afternoon tea. You _may_ have
anything you choose, sandwiches, small cakes, salads, ices, candies,
and, of course, tea served with cream and sugar, or with thin slices of
lemon and sugar. But you _must_ have, or, rather, you need only have, if
you wish, tea and very thin, daintily served slices of bread-and-butter.
The idea of afternoon tea is merely a light refreshment about five
o'clock in the afternoon, when you may have a few moments' pleasant chat
with the family and your friends, and when what you eat and drink is a
delicate accompaniment to the conversation. Among the most acceptable
sandwiches are those made with a crisp green lettuce leaf between thin
slices of bread-and-butter, the lettuce salted and sprinkled with
vinegar, or of very dainty brown bread with co