prettily, as the different groups gathered round to talk, and listen to the story-tellers.

Presently a dance was proposed, and welcomed with great excitement. A circle of men and women was formed, one gave the key-note and movement, and the whole body began to chaunt, and slide sideways at the same moment; sometimes clapping their hands, sometimes holding them above their heads; beating time with one foot; then jumping off the ground, and lighting with a sound like thunder. This movement, when the dance is held before battle, is accompanied by hideous faces and shouts, and is done with such force, that it is heard to a great distance, and is supposed to inspire their enemies with fear.

Sailors, who have allowed it to take place on board ship, state that they thought the deck would be stove in.

Aps did not enjoy this part of the proceedings much, being terribly alarmed at the grimaces and noise, and at last got so unhappy, that Mrs. Graham proposed to go home. The girls had seen quite enough too, so left with her. No one who saw the pretty little farm homestead, with its garden and fields, could have believed that only two years had served to bring this gay and happy home out of the wilderness. But here let me remind my young readers, that the Grahams were really a united family, loving each other with a devotion seldom, I fear, met with. Whatever was to be done, pleasant or unpleasant, was done with a right goodwill, and every trouble gladly shared. Thus, if Mrs. Graham wished anything done, she had only to say so, and both girls would not rest until it was settled; and everything, too, was done in such an orderly and regular way, that each hour of the day had its own separate duty. Lucy and Beatrice always got up

at six o'clock. When dressed, Lucy went off to feed the poultry; Beatrice to milk the cows, and make butter for breakfast; and everyone declared they never saw such butter; and so well did she manage her dairy, that she was able to send crocks of butter to Christchurch every month; from the price she got for which, she kept herself in boots, shoes, gloves, and pocket-handkerchiefs, and always had a little to buy presents with for the others.

Lucy's department brought in an equal amount of gain, except now and then, when a wild cat got in among the young chickens, when sad havoc would occur. Watching the coops and their precious little inmates, was generally Aps's duty, and one he was particularly fond of, as Lucy paid him twopence a day; and he was heard asking Wilson how much his papa paid him, and if he got more than twopence. What became of Aps's money was long a great mystery. He used to double it carefully in a piece of paper, and then disappear for a time. When he came back, he looked very wise and happy, just as little boys do when they know a delightful secret, or are going to be allowed to do something very nice.

The mystery was discovered in a very funny way at last. Mrs. Graham had taken Aps to visit a friend, and while they were gone, Captain Graham and the men went off to the forest, to cut down a tree, as they were going to build another cottage. What do you think for? It was for Bridget and Wilson to live in after they were married; for, in spite of all their fighting and sparring, they had become great friends; indeed, ever since Wilson ate the goose pie, Lucy said she was sure he had made up his mind to secure such a capital cook for his wife.

Well, a tree was fixed upon, and the work began. Just

as the last stroke was given, and the ominous crack that precedes a fall warned them to get out of the way, Aps and his Mamma came in sight.

Keep back!" shouted Captain Graham; and, with a loud crash, the great tree fell. Aps uttered a shriek, and,

tearing his hand from his mother's, ran forward.

The ground was covered with little rolled-up pieces of white paper, which had showered down upon the heads of the astonished men, when the tree fell.

"Oh my wages, my wages!" sobbed Aps, throwing himself down upon the ground, and trying to gather up all the white papers at once.

"What is it, Aps?" asked his father, resting on his axe, and beginning to have a glimmering of the truth. "What is all the paper? This is the funniest tree I ever saw. Hollo, Mamma, we've found a squirrel's nest, full of paper parcels."

"Oh no, no, mamma! it's my wages. I put them in a hole to keep them to buy a pony, like the little boy in the story-book; and now they're all lost, and I won't get a pony for ever so long. Oh, dear, my wages!"

Poor Aps's story brought a smile to the faces of his hearers; but his grief was too genuine to be laughed at; besides, there was something in it that made each of them think of the time when they were children, and hoarded up pennies to buy some favourite thing; so they all set to work, and very soon Aps had his pinafore full of papers and pennies. Just as he was turning away, after a last, lingering look at his bank, now really a broken one, Wilson came up to him, and, stooping down, whispered,

"Keep up your heart, little man, and see if I don't bring you a pony when I come back from being married." Aps's cheeks flushed, and his great eyes, still swimming with tears, looked enquiringly up in his friend's face ; but presently it clouded again. He remembered what a long time it had taken for him to collect even the money he had, and how much more a pony would cost; so how could Wilson ever buy one. It was very kind to say he would; but he must mean a play wooden horse, thought Aps, and not a real pony, with a long white tail, and a saddle and bridle.

But Aps was wrong. Wilson had been very careful of his wages, which are very much higher in New Zealand than here, and actually did bring back a pony with him; and Captain Graham sent for a saddle and bridle: and though the pony had a short brown tail, and not a long white one, Aps was quite happy, and attended the rubbing down of his treasure morning and night, mimicking the hissing noise Wilson made, and very soon learning to rub the pony himself.

CHAPTER XXV.

The Purchase of Roses-The Scotch Gardener-A Long WalkWho gained the Victory.

BESIDES the care of the cows and poultry, many other duties devolved upon the girls, and one of these was the management of the garden, the hard work being done by any of the men who had an hour or two to spare, or any visitor who might be staying at the farm-a very common occurrence, as Captain Graham was always making new friends, and scarcely ever returned from his monthly visits to Christchurch without bringing some one to enliven them.

The flower-garden was a perfect wonder of beauty. Every English flower was there, mingled with many of those beautiful tropical plants that we dare not trust out of a hot-house in England. The geranium and fuchsia hedge had grown so fast, that the second summer it required trimming down, and was now a perfect blaze of blossom, the dark glossy leaves of the myrtle making a beautiful and refreshing contrast.

Upon one of his visits to Christchurch, their Papa had fallen in with the captain of a trading vessel, who had brought out a large number of rose-plants, and thinking they were all dead, offered to sell them for a very small

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