of any severing of our loves!
Yet in my heart of hearts I feel your might;

* * * * *

Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears:
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.

_Wordsworth_.

OUR FIELD

There were four of us, and three of us had godfathers and godmothers.
Three each. Three times three make nine, and not a fairy godmother in
the lot. That was what vexed us.

It was very provoking, because we knew so well what we wanted if we
had one, and she had given us three wishes each. Three times three
make nine. We could have got all we wanted out of nine wishes, and
have provided for Perronet into the bargain. It would not have been
any good Perronet having wishes all to himself, because he was only a
dog.

We never knew who it was that drowned Perronet, but it was Sandy who
saved his life and brought him home. It was when he was coming home
from school, and he brought Perronet with him. Perronet was not at all
nice to look at when we first saw him, though we were very sorry for
him. He was wet all over, and his eyes shut, and you could see his
ribs, and he looked quite dark and sticky. But when he dried, he
dried a lovely yellow, with two black ears like velvet. People
sometimes asked us what kind of dog he was, but we never knew, except
that he was the nicest possible kind.

When we had got him, we were afraid we were not going to be allowed to
have him. Mother said we could not afford him, because of the tax and
his keep. The tax was five shillings, but there wanted nearly a year
to the time of paying it. Of course his keep began as soon as he could
eat, and that was the very same evening. We were all very miserable,
because we were so fond of Perronet--at least, Perronet was not his
name then, but he was the same person--and at last it was settled that
all three of us would give up sugar, towards saving the expense of his
keep, if he might stay. It was hardest for Sandy, because he was
particularly fond of sweet things; but then he was particularly fond
of Perronet. So we all gave up sugar, and Perronet was allowed to
remain.

About the tax, we thought we could save any pennies or half-pennies we
got during the year, and it was such a long time to the time for
paying, that we should be almost sure to have enough by then. We had
not any money at t