CAUGHT BY THE TIDE.
"MAUDE!" called Mrs. Elliot from the breakfast-parlour. "Maude! Are we not late this morning?"
"No, mamma; or at least only five minutes," answered a handsome girl coming forth from the kitchen, rolling up an apron which she had just taken off.
"I was afraid it was more, my dear."
"I have done all the things," said Maude, "and packed up the butter, and Wilmot is picking the strawberries. The butter is as cool as possible, and will travel so in all those cabbage leaves. I put some wet muslin over it first, of course."
"Have you made up the bread?"
"Yes; and it is in the oven. I think I've done well," said Maude complacently; "and by the time we have finished breakfast, it will be baked."
"Such a lot of little pretty loaves!" said a child, who had been superintending the preparations, and was now seated at the table.
"Yes; Hope could not have made them better," said Maude, laughing.
At this moment, a tall young man carried in a large basket of strawberries.