A. L. O. E.'s picture story book.

by A. L. O. E.

Full of her grateful design, Grace put her dove into a little woven basket, with open work on the lid, and lined the basket with moss, that her favourite might take no harm by the way. Grace then wont and asked her father to carry her dove to the great and good lord at the Castle.

"I am far too busy to do any such thing," said Seele, who was just about starting off to make a new purchase of cows for his dairy, with the money advanced by his kind benefactor. "Go you up to the Castle, child, and take your present yourself."

Grace was afraid to go up to the Castle, though she knew the road to it perfectly well, for she had often gathered acorns under the great oaks of the park while the lord of the manor had been absent. But though feeling timid and shy, Grace was too anxious to offer her humble gift to be easily put aside from her purpose.

"I will just venture as far as the outer gate," she said to herself, "and give the basket to one of the servants, and beg him kindly to take it to the generous lord."

So Grace put on her little bonnet and cloak. In vain she tried to get one of her brothers or sisters to go with her—they too said that they were too busy: not one seemed to think that it was in the least needful to show gratitude, or even to feel it.

So Grace set out quite alone. Ofttimes on her way, she raised the lid of the basket a little to take a last peep of her pet.

"I shall miss you, but I do not grudge you, my little beauty!" said the child. "I am sure that so kind a lord will be gentle and good to my bird. He will not despise or hurt you; and when he hears your soft note in the morning, he will know that you are cooing the thanks of a little child for what he has done for us all."

But when Grace reached the large gate beside which hung the great iron bell, she had hardly courage to ring it. After all, thought she, might not so grand a nobleman think it presuming in her to come even to offer a gift? Was the bird, though it was her all, worthy to be placed before him? Should she not rather carry Heartslove back to her home?

While Grace stood hesitating and doubting, with her small hand raised to the bell handle, which she did not venture to pull, a man of a noble appearance, who was walking within the Castle grounds, came up to the gate.

"What do you want, little girl?" he inquired in a tone so gentle, that even timid Grace was not afraid to reply to the question.