"Let us all have the benefit of it, Mr. Carleton," said the lady.
It is worthy of remark that Fleda's politeness utterly deserted her during the reading of both this piece and the last. She as near as possible turned her back upon the reader.
"Merrily sang the crickets forth
One fair October night;
And the stars look'd down, and the northern crown
Gave its strange fantastic light.
"A nipping frost was in the air,
On flowers and grass it fell;
And the leaves were still on the eastern hill,
As if touched by a fairy spell.
"To the very top of the tall nut-trees
The frost-king seemed to ride;
With his wand he stirs the chestnut burrs,
And straight they are open'd wide.
"And squirrels and children together dream
Of the coming winter's hoard;
And many, I ween, are the chestnuts seen
In hole or in garret stored.
"The children are sleeping in feather-beds
Poor Bun in his mossy nest;
He courts repose with his tail on his nose,
On the others warm blankets rest.
"Late in the morning the sun gets up
From behind the village spire;
And the children dream that the first red gleam
Is the chestnut-trees on fire!
"The squirrel had on when he first awoke,
All the clothing he could command;
And his breakfast was light he just took a bite
Of an acorn that lay at hand:
"And then he was off to the trees to work:
While the children some time it takes
To dress and to eat what they think meet
Of coffee and buckwheat cakes.