and
smoothed the tangled curls and fastened the best little coat, Ted looked
very "nice" indeed, I can assure you, for his drive to A----.

It was a very happy drive. Perched safely between his father and mother,
Ted was as proud as a king. It was all so pretty, the driving through
the shady lanes, where the honeysuckle and wild-roses were just beginning
to show some tints of colour, the peeps now and then of the sea below in
its blue beauty, the glancing up sometimes at the mountain top, Ted's
old friend, along whose sides they were actually travelling--it was all
delightful. And when they drew near the little town, and the houses
began to stand closer, till at last they came in rows and streets, and
the old mare's hoofs clattered over the stones of the market-place so
that the people in the sleepy little place came out to see who was
coming, Ted's excitement knew no bounds. He had almost forgotten A----,
it was so long since he had been there--the sights of the shops and what
appeared to him their wonderful contents, the sight even of so many
people and children walking about, was almost too much for the little
country child; it seemed to take his breath away.

He recovered his composure, however, when he found himself trotting
about the streets with his mother. She had several shops to go to, each,
to Ted, more interesting than the other. There was the ironmonger's to
visit, for cook had begged for a new preserving pan and the nursery
tea-pot handle was broken; there were various milk jugs and plates to
replace at the china shop; brown holland to get at the draper's for
Ted's summer blouses. At two or three of the shops his mother, being
a regular customer and having an account with them, did not pay, and
among these was the grocer's, where she had rather a long list of things
needed for the store-closet, and while she was explaining about them all
to the white-aproned young man behind the counter, Ted marched about
the shop on a voyage of discovery on his own account. There were so many
interesting things--barrels of sugar, white, brown, and darker brown
still, neat piles of raisins and currants, closely fastened bottles
of French plums, and rows of paper-covered tin boxes which Ted knew
contained biscuits.

"What a kind man," he said to himself, "to give muzzer all she wants,"
as one after another of his mother's requests was attended to. "Why, he
lets muzzer take whatever her likes!" he added, as having brought