‘Are you, then, to come as usual to the morning school, Zoë, and not to have an entire holiday?'

'No; I shall only take the half, like the rest of you. I told mamma that I heard you say that you meant, on your next birthday, to have no holiday, but to learn all your lessons excessively well on that day. Then mamma asked me if I wished to try that plan myself, and that I might do so if I liked it. So it was settled that I should go to school as usual; but then it happened that Mrs. Johnston fixed on my birthday to give us a half-holiday and a picnic; and I cannot say I am sorry, for I do like holidays and excursions.'

'I do not wonder, dear Zoë, that you should like such things we all do, and I hope you will have a

:

very pleasant day. No doubt there will be plenty of opportunity for exercising your steadiness.'

'Good-night then, Annie.'

CHAPTER IV.

Zoë and her Verse-The Picnic-Hazel Wood-The Children and the Stream-Zoë's Resolution-Tea in the Woods-Forgetfulness and its Consequences-More Birthday Verses-The Gipsy Woman-Reward of Truthfulness.

APPILY for the little girls, the next day

was bright and beautiful. Zoë was most attentive and careful at her work; so much so, that her teacher remarked it, and said:

You are determined, Zoë, to deserve your treat this afternoon, are you not?'

'I hope so,' replied Zoë. 'I think we ought to try to do our lessons very well in return for a nice expedition. And I have another reason for wishing to do very well indeed to-day: it is because it is my birthday. I am nine years old to-day, and I mean to do everything well all this year.'

'That is a very large resolve, Zoë,' said her teacher, smiling; may you be able to keep it!'

The children were to dine a little earlier than usual, in order to have a long afternoon; and when they assembled in front of the house, after the hasty

repast, there was quite an array of carriages waiting for them. Some of Mrs. Johnston's neighbours had lent their carriages. Her own pony phaeton took five; and with some contrivance the whole of the party found places, and merrily set forth for the pretty valley to which they were bound. Hazel Wood stretched along both sides of a shallow stream that ran bubbling over the stones, making now and then a deep, clear pool round the root of a tree, and then continuing its noisy course. At one part of the wood this stream widened out into a small lake, and farther on, the trees retreated from the edge of the water, leaving smooth spaces of grass, which answered to perfection for spreading out the picnic. Mrs. Johnston had on former occasions brought the children to this spot. They amused themselves by catching minnows in the shallow stream, making collections of wild flowers and mosses among the brushwood that clothed the ground beneath the trees; and at the back of the wood some cragged, curiously-shaped rocks afforded amusement to the active climbers of the party. The few miles that intervened between the school and the valley were soon traversed, and then the children scattered in all directions about the wood.

'Stay a moment,' cried Mrs. Johnston, arresting their steps before they were out of hearing: 'I will give you two hours to amuse yourselves as you best please, and then I will sound this whistle to collect you all for tea-making. A part of these two hours I

wish to spend with my old friend Mrs. Carey, whose house is close by. I am sure that I can trust you not to do anything I dislike during the time I am away.'

'Oh yes! oh yes!' cried the children, 'indeed you can,' and they broke up into parties, each to pursue their own favourite amusement.

Annie, with Carry and several others, went up to the high part of the wood, and clambered about the rocks, jumping from one to another. Lena, with a few companions, wandered about the wood in search of new wild flowers. Zoë remained near the stream, among the fishers. They had brought several little nets with them, and were soon eagerly pursuing the little darting fish into the deeper pools: the object was to collect a dish of minnows to fry for tea. The stream was crossed here and there by small bridges, or rather rough trunks of trees thrown across, with a hand-rail affixed. When the children had gone some way along one bank, they crossed to the other by means of one of these bridges. For some time there was great excitement in endeavouring to catch a very large, fine minnow; and Ellen Graham, who was a very lively, thoughtless child, and a favourite companion of Zoe's, was just on the point of seizing it, when the provoking little fish eluded her net, and fairly escaped to the other side of the stream.

'I declare he has gone across!' cried Ellen. 'Do run round, Zoë, by the bridge. No! you will be too late. I will slip off my shoes, and wade across; it is not more than ankle deep,' and quick as lightning,

she tore off her shoes and socks, and paddled across the stream.

'Oh, Ellen!' said Zoë, surely you ought not to do that. Do you think Mrs. Johnston would like it?'

is off again!

'Never mind,' said Ellen; I must catch this quick little fellow. How he does dart about! There! he Now, hold out your net, Zoë; he will run into it.' But between the two girls the fish completely escaped.

'He is quite gone,' said Zoë. 'Now, do come back, Ellen, and dry your feet.'

'Not yet,' replied Ellen; 'I can fish better when I am paddling in the water. I shall stay here for a while, it is so pleasant. Do come in too!'

'I am afraid,' said Maria Palmer, another of the little girls, 'that it will be so very cold, I do not like to venture.'

'It is not at all cold,' said Ellen, after the first dip. Come along, Maria and Zoë.'

'I am sure it is very pleasant indeed,' said Zoë, ' and I should like extremely to walk into the water ; but I am so sure that Mrs. Johnston would not be pleased, that I will not try.'

'Oh, nonsense!' said Ellen, 'she does not object to our fishing; and we are almost sure to wet our feet along the edge of the stream. Then we stay in our wet shoes; that is much worse than paddling barefoot in the water for a little while, and afterwards drying our feet, and putting on dry shoes and socks,' and