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"But we should try love first," Mrs. Watson ever replied.

All had gone very happily at the cottage till this morning during harvest. Robert had been careful to remember all his duties, and had been much the happier in consequence. It was, indeed, a sad thing that he so hastily decided within himself that, because he knew the papers were safe upstairs, he could put them into the box just as well after as before breakfast.

The children sat in the morning sunlight with the cottage door wide open. They talked fast enough, and were happy enough together, their thoughts full of all they had to do that day. The moment their meal was over the rabbits had to be fed, and the pig attended to, the tea-things to be put away, the kitchen swept up, and the kettle to be filled. Robert assisted in these operations, for they were all eager to set off to glean. "I'll run up directly a'most and put the papers away," thought he. Ah! if he had! Even now it would not have been too late.

Now, we know that Robert had been trying to do well; that he loved his mother and father, his brother and sisters, and hoped to go on doing

better; but see how a small fault neglected brings large consequences with it.

"Don't you hear a noise, Bobby?" asked Dick, standing still in the doorway to listen, on which the other children stood listening intently also; all but Robert, who was at that moment putting some sticks and coal ready at hand to light up the fire when it should next be wanted. His mind was, at the same time, occupied with the thought of the papers, the happy hours they would have together to-day, and his effort to finish quickly what he was about, for they were all eager to set off.

"I'm sure I heard something coming by!" exclaimed Emmy, in some excitement. (A passing carriage, or even a waggon, was always watched with interest by the village children.)

"Come on! make haste, Bobby!" called out Dick.

He and the other children were just ready to start, and Robert had the box in his hand, intending to rush upstairs with it, when Emmy suddenly called out, "Oh! Bobby! Bobby, come here! quick! to the garden gate!"

Helter-skelter the children followed each other,

and great was their excitement at beholding the long procession which was passing down the lane. Travelling carts of every size and shape, some drawn by horses, some

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open as her blue eyes, watched them all go by, and Robert was as much excited as his little sister. They wondered where all the carts and

the gipsies were going, whereabouts in the carts the little gipsy children slept, and a thousand other things. They were still talking together when their mother's friend and neighbour, Mrs. Ware, came in to do the cooking she had undertaken.

"Oh! we didn't expect you so early," cried Robert, "or we wouldn't have put the fire out."

"I'll soon light it," said Mrs. Ware cheerfully. "But I was forced to come now, or not at all, for I've some work come along unexpected."

Mrs. Ware went straight into the cottage, and as soon as she had thrown aside her bonnet began to light up the fire. There was no paper at hand, so she called to the children for some, but they did not hear, and, full of the necessity for hasty action, she mounted the stairs to fetch some old newspaper she remembered to have noticed the day before. The newspaper was no longer there, but there were some old folded bits of paper on the chair by Master Watson's bed.

"This bit or two will do," thought she; and in three minutes more all the carefully preserved receipts for rent were shrivelling in the newly relighted fire!

B

CHAPTER IV.

WHAT ROBERT DID!

REAMING nothing of what had happened, Robert still stood by the garden gate gazing after the unusual sight, though the very last of it had vanished. But he had not forgotten what he had to do; he had only put off doing it.

"All of you go on-I'll overtake you in a few minutes," he said to his sisters and brother.

"Oh! start with us, Bobby, do!" entreated Emmy.

"I can't, Em.

Father told me to be sure and do something for him before I went off this morning. But I'll run after you quick!"

Emmy and the others knew that what their father enjoined must be attended to, so they started off without Robert, though Emmy often. looked behind to see if he was coming.

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