he mountain. We had not
gone far, when, among a flock of goats scattered over the hill, we found
a poor old man sitting on a rock, with very downcast look, and little
Pierre Laurec, who had come to show us the way, told us it was his
father. The poor old man was very much out of heart, and it was some
time before we could make him understand that we wanted to help him. At
Susette's name he looked mournfully in my face as I sat down by him,
murmuring that she was gone, gone, bonne fille!

[Illustration: UNHAPPY.]

"'Well, you know, I must not make my letter too long. Tell Susette that
things look brighter now in her old home; that Pierre has found some
work in our garden, and his sister comes now and then to your aunt's
house; and that we will look after them a little, and send you more news
soon.

"'Mamma sends ever so much love, and many, many thanks to dear
grandmamma for offering to house her tiresome chicks for a few more
months. What a grand, happy Christmas we will have together! That is, if
only I can get mamma well enough to brave an English winter. Poor mamma
wants sadly to get a sight of her baby.--Ever your affectionate

"'FATHER.'"

That was the letter, reader. Don't you think it was well worth waiting
for?

X.

_AUTUMN DAYS._

"What an idea, papa talking about Christmas!" Alick said, when we came
to the end of the letter; and it did seem funny that hot autumn
afternoon, when all the leaves were in a glow, looking as if they had
been burnt up so long they couldn't and wouldn't bear it any longer!
Perhaps they meant to come down. But I suppose, now I come to think of
it, that months don't seem so never-ending to grown-up people as they do
to children; they are more prepared to see the time fly, you don't know
how, so they are not surprised when they find it gone. Besides, you see,
they don't get taller and taller as the months pass, so, of course, the
time must seem to run past very quickly, they standing still all the
while! How odd it must be! I heard a little boy remonstrating last
night--

"Well, but, uncle, if you keep your clothes till next year they'll be
ever so much too small for you!"

Everybody laughed, and told him that uncle, being six feet high, didn't
expect to grow any more; and, of course, as I said before, if Alick's
papa stood still, the time _would_ seem to go very quickly.

And so, I suppose, when the end of Oct