ald Bastable, and another very nice
writer. Oswald was to keep his birthday on the Saturday, so that his
Father could be there. A birthday when there are only many happy returns
is a little like Sunday or Christmas Eve. Oswald had a birthday-card or
two--that was all; but he did not repine, because he knew they always
make it up to you for putting off keeping your birthday, and he looked
forward to Saturday.

Albert's uncle had a whole stack of letters as usual, and presently he
tossed one over to Dora, and said, 'What do you say, little lady? Shall
we let them come?'

But Dora, butter-fingered as ever, missed the catch, and Dick and Noel
both had a try for it, so that the letter went into the place where the
bacon had been, and where now only a frozen-looking lake of bacon fat
was slowly hardening, and then somehow it got into the marmalade, and
then H. O. got it, and Dora said--

'I don't want the nasty thing now--all grease and stickiness.' So H. O.
read it aloud--

MAIDSTONE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUITIES AND FIELD CLUB
Aug. 14, 1900

'DEAR SIR,--At a meeting of the--'

H. O. stuck fast here, and the writing was really very bad, like a
spider that has been in the ink-pot crawling in a hurry over the paper
without stopping to rub its feet properly on the mat. So Oswald took
the letter. He is above minding a little marmalade or bacon. He began to
read. It ran thus:

'It's not Antiquities, you little silly,' he said; 'it's Antiquaries.'

'The other's a very good word,' said Albert's uncle, 'and I never
call names at breakfast myself--it upsets the digestion, my egregious
Oswald.'

'That's a name though,' said Alice, 'and you got it out of "Stalky",
too. Go on, Oswald.'

So Oswald went on where he had been interrupted:

'MAIDSTONE SOCIETY OF "ANTIQUARIES" AND FIELD CLUB

Aug. 14,1900.

'DEAR SIR,--At a meeting of the Committee of this Society it was agreed
that a field day should be held on Aug. 20, when the Society proposes to
visit the interesting church of Ivybridge and also the Roman remains
in the vicinity. Our president, Mr Longchamps, F.R.S., has obtained
permission to open a barrow in the Three Trees pasture. We venture to
ask whether you would allow the members of the Society to walk through
your grounds and to inspect--from without, of course--your beautiful
house, which is, as you are doubtless aware, of great historic interest,
having been for some years the residence of the cel