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walk and compassionately plants and waters them again. She is very seldom naughty, but if she gets into a temper she disappears under the table and kicks at nothing in particular for a few minutes, and emerges calm and peaceful. I could wish that more of my acquaintances would work off their feelings in the same way when they are entertaining the legendary black dog unawares.

“On the other side of the street I often see another little boy, a delicate only child of studious habits. He comes to see me sometimes, but stands in great awe of the Damon children. He often comes over when I am playing, and stands by the window to listen. This led me to make use of him in a gentle way. We have all got some private weakness. Human nature is frail at the best. ‘I myself am not exempt,’ alas! In fact, if it must be told, I have a great love of composing tunes—hymn tunes mostly, they are the easiest. The difficulty of all artists at first is to find an audience fit though few; and one day it occurred to me that the new boy—Bertie by name—might, for a small consideration, act the part of art-critic. I might try my tunes on him, as it were, as one tries a new bonnet on a friend. This has answered admirably so far. His terms are not high—indeed,