like the organ tuner; or had their heads

no, not

their heads, they couldn't go on doing things after that had their legs or their arms chopped off in battle, and are very good and brave about it, and manage very, very nearly as well as people who have got nothing the matter with them.

"We shall put in only brave Poor Things; not cowardly Poor Things. It was all my idea, only father is doing the ruling, and printing, and illuminating for me. I thought of it when the organ tuner was here."

"The organ tuner?”

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Yes, I heard the organ, and I made James carry me in, and put me in the armchair close to the organ. And the tuner was tuning, and he looked round, and James said, 'It's the young gentleman'; and the tuner said, 'Good morning, sir,' and I said, Good morning, tuner; go on tuning, please, for I want to see you do it.' And he went on; and he dropped a tin thing on to the floor; and he got down to look for it, and he felt about in such a funny way that I burst out laughing. I didn't mean to be rude; I couldn't help it.

And I said: 'Can't you see it? It's just under the table.' And he said, 'I can't see anything, sir; I'm stone blind.' And he said perhaps I would be kind enough to give it to him.

"I said I was very sorry, but I hadn't got my crutches, and so I couldn't get out of my chair without some one to help me. And he was so awfully sorry for me, you can't

think!

He said

he didn't know I was more afflicted than he was; but I was awfully sorry for him, for I've tried shutting my eyes, and you can bear it just a minute, but then you must open them to see again. And I said, How can you do anything when you see nothing but blackness all along?' And he says he can do well enough as long as he's spared the use of his limbs to earn his own livelihood.

666

Are there any more blind men,' I said, 'that earn their own livelihood? I wish I could earn mine!' And he said, 'There are a good many blind tuners, sir.' Then I said, 'Go on tuning, please; I like to hear you do it.' And he went on, and I did like him so much.

"Do you know the blind tuner, mother dear? And don't you like him very much?

I think he

is just what you think very good, and I think it nearly as brave as a battle to be afflicted and go on earning your own livelihood when you can see nothing but blackness all along. Poor man!" "I do think it very good of him, my darling, and very brave."

"I knew you would.

And then I thought per

haps there are lots of brave afflicted people Poor Things! and perhaps there never was anybody but me who wasn't. And I wished I knew their names, so I asked the tuner his name and he

told me.

"Then I thought of my book, for a good idea a collection, you know. And I thought perhaps, by degrees, I might collect three hundred and sixty-five Poor Things, all brave. And so I am making father rule it like his diary, and we've got the tuner's name down for the First of January; and if you can think of anybody else, you must tell me, and if I think they're afflicted enough and brave enough, I'll put them in. But I shall have

to be rather particular, for we don't want to fill up too fast.

"Now, father, I've done the explaining, so you can show your part. Look, mother, hasn't he ruled it well? There's only one tiny mess, and it was the Sweep shaking the table with getting up to be patted."

"He has ruled it beautifully. But what a handsome L!"

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Oh, I forgot! Wait a minute, father, the explaining isn't quite finished.

What do you think

that L stands for, mother dear?"

"For Leonard, I suppose."

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No, no!

Guess again."

What fun! You're quite wrong.

"Is it not the tuner's name?"

Oh, no! He's in the First of January — I

told you so.

And in plain printing. Father really couldn't illuminate three hundred and sixtyfive Poor Things."

"Of course he couldn't.

think so."

"Do you give it up?"

It was silly of me to

"Ah, you know now! You ought to have guessed without my telling you. Do you remember? It means Happy with my fate,' and in our family we have to be happy with it, whatever sort of a one it is. For you told me so. And I told the tuner, and he liked hearing about it very much. And then he went on tuning, and he smiled so when he was listening to the notes. I thought he looked very happy; so I asked him, and he said he was always happy when he was meddling with a musical instrument. But I thought most likely all brave Poor Things are happy with their fate, even if they can't tune; and I asked father, and he said, 'Yes,' and so we are putting it into my collection-partly for that, and partly, when the coat of arms is done, to show that the book belongs to me.

"Now, father dear, the explaining is really quite finished this time, and you may do all the rest of the show-off yourself!"