"Cos she always has got choc'lates in her bag."

"But don't you think it's much more important to have the truth in
your heart than chocolates in your bag?"

"Yes. Now can I have my pink cake?"

I released and rewarded her, and Julia prepared to speak her mind.
Fortunately, however, just at that moment my brother Tom, who is
Barbara's godfather, came in.

"Why, what a big girl we're getting!" he observed to Barbara in his
best godfatherly manner. "I suppose we shall soon be going to school?"

"Oh, no, not yet awhile," I interposed. "The fact is she's already
far too forward, and we think it a good thing to keep her back a bit.
You'd never believe the amazing remarks she makes. Just now, for
instance, we happened to be discussing the comparative love of truth
inherent in men and women, and Barbara chipped in and told me she
thought women were far more careless of the truth than men."

"Good heavens!" said Tom, who is a bachelor by conviction. "She
certainly hit the nail on the head there."

"Yes, and she added that she herself prized truth above chocolates."

"It sounds almost incredible," gasped Tom.

"Doesn't it? But ask Julia; she heard it all. And Julia will also tell
you what Barbara remarked about my work."

But Julia, who was already gathering her furs about her, followed up
an unusual silence by a sudden departure.

From what Suzanne has since refrained from saying I am confident that
I've broken the back of one more legend, and saved Barbara from the
fate of having to pass the rest of her childhood living up (or down)
to a spurious halo of precocity.

* * * * *

[Illustration: =AN INCENTIVE TO VIRTUE.=

_Small Boy_ (_much impressed_). "THE TICKET-COLLECTOR SAID 'GOOD
EVENING' TO DAD."

_Mother._ "YES, DEAR, HE ALWAYS DOES. AND PERHAPS, IF YOU'RE GOOD,
HE'LL SAY THE SAME TO YOU--WHEN YOU'VE TRAVELLED ON THIS LINE FOR
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS."]

* * * * *

Another Impending Apology.

"DEPARTURE OF THE LIEUT.-GOVERNOR.
ENTHUSIASTIC SCENES."

_Channel Islands Paper._

* * * * *

"Indeed, it is simple to understand why the Canadian portion of
the audience almost rise from their seats when Fergus Wimbus, the
'Man,' says, 'Canada is the land of big things, big thoughts, bing
hopes."--_Provincial Paper._

Not forgetting the "Byng Boys" either.

* * *