GARDENING.
"THINK you've been at it long enough, Billy; you'd better rest a bit."
Billy was having his first lesson in gardening. His grandfather had shown him the proper way to use his spade, and for the last half hour he had been labouring on a patch of ground which had to be dug up and prepared for spring tillage. Now, as his grandfather spoke, he ceased work and stood leaning on his spade, viewing the freshly turned soil with great satisfaction.
"It's very warm," he remarked, "but it's grand weather, isn't it, Grandfer?"
"That it is!" agreed William Brown. "We often get fine weather like this hereabouts in November; it gives one an opportunity of preparing for the winter. Golden days I call these, and one must make the most of them, for there are days coming when there'll be no working on the land. The leaves are hanging late on the trees this year, but the first night's sharp frost will bring them down in a hurry—they're ripe to fall. Why, who's this I see?"
As if he did not recognise the little figure that had entered the garden and was hastening towards them with light, tripping steps.
"It's May," said Billy. "Do you think she has come all the way from the village by herself?"
"Yes," nodded his grandfather. "I thought she might be here to-day, for I knew the fine weather would make her restless and long to be out-of-doors. When she's like that she doesn't want to go to school, and the teacher agrees it's better not to send her. Well, May, my pet! Come and look at Billy's beautiful tools. Show them to her, Billy."
Billy was very proud and pleased to do so. May examined each tool separately with the greatest interest.
"Are they your very, very, own, Billy?" she inquired.