Lucy, who still bore the name of "baby," and who numbered five summers.

Now Uncle Gee had come home for his holidays, for though he was nearly grown up, and seemed a giant in cleverness to all his little nephews and nieces, he was still at Oxford, and working hard at his studies. But he was very fond of all the little folks at Summerfield Rectory, and the days to the long vacation were nearly as eagerly counted by Uncle Gee, even amidst his more serious business, as by the flock of eager little adorers at the quiet home in the west. Everything that was nice and pleasant was deferred until his arrival, and a queer variety of treasures were hoarded up for his inspection long before he came.

And Uncle Gee amply rewarded his faithful adherents, for when he came, he brought universal sunshine with him, and was as ready to enter into all their pursuits and share all their games as the veriest child amongst them. He was the best teacher of trapbat and rounders Bob and Tom knew for miles round; and yet he was as skilful and neathanded at repairing the damages in Mary's doll house, and the fractures

F

of baby's doll, so that he might have been a carpenter by trade.

So when at teatime, one summer evening, Mamma said to the children, who were all round the large long table, "To-morrow Uncle Gee is coming!" they all burst out in one regular shout of delight, for this time he had gone on a visit to a friend first, and his young relations' calculations had been all put out, and they had been waiting day after day in the vain hope of seeing him. The noise and chatter round the tea table that evening were really deafening, and would have been quite annoying to anyone but Mamma, who smiled, and said it was a little taste of preparation for the uproar that always lasted all through Uncle Gee's visit.

And next day he came, to the great delight of all the young folks, and if he had been nearly as patient as Mamma, and quite as brave as Papa, (who did not even fear mad bulls, said baby!) why he would have been driven deaf, dumb, and blind, by all the voices talking in their loudest keys at once, or else would have expected to be torn in pieces by all the eager hands that clung to him and pulled him about.

I think Papa and Mamma, and Uncle Gee too, in spite of all their kindness and affection for the uproarious little mob, were thankful enough when the children's bedtime came, and they were all taken off, loudly declaring that it was not time yet.

Next morning they were all up like larks, and. had finished dressing sooner than usual, but, to their great horror, they looked out and saw the sky covered with leaden clouds, and heard the steady, heavy drops of rain falling on the skylight over the staircase.

“What a nuisance," growled Bob and Tom, "when we wanted to try the new field, and Uncle Gee promised to have a game of cricket with us!"

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"O dear," said Mary, in dismay, "and I wanted to show him the new hammock swing Papa has given us !"

"We've lost our swing for certain," said Jeanie, who was a regular romp; "what a

bother!"

"Rain, rain, go to Spain," chanted Baby, in her squeaky voice-while Dora joined in chorus. "Who's singing that contraband rhyme?"

said Papa, coming in; "I'm too thankful for the rain for the sake of my peas and potatoes!"

"And the strawberries too," chimed in Mamma; "just think, children, how they were shrivelling for want of rain.

"But we can't get out," bawled all the children, "and now Uncle Gee's come we had such lots of things to show him!

"What's the matter now?" said Uncle Gee, coming in. "All this racket about a little rain ! Why, I was just thinking, while I was dressing, what a jolly day it would be to make a Kite!"

"Make a Kite!" shouted Bob; "O how stunning; O Uncle Gee, can you show us how to do it?"

“I think I can, Bob," replied his Uncle, “but at any rate we'll try, and with Mamma's help perhaps we can manage it. I dare say she will let us have the school-room to make all our litters in, and I shall want every man jack of you to help!"

"Am I man jack too, Uncle Gee?" asked Baby, very anxiously.

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'I should think so," said Uncle Gee, kissing her, "a very useful one too; you shall help with the fine fringy tail!"

And when breakfast was over, to work they all went. Papa found some capital slips of light thin wood, and lent his best knife into the bargain. Mamma contributed some beautiful white glazed lining to cover the frame with, and lent her nice glue pot as well. Uncle Gee soon had the long table in the school-room covered with all sorts of things, and had set everybody to work as well. Bob and Tom busily hammered, fixed, planed, and cut, till they hindered Uncle Gee terribly; and when he saw Mary take up the scissors, and begin to measure the calico, he stopped short, and called a truce.

"Now," said he, "if all are going to be at work, and no one master, we shall soon get into a fix, and knock over the whole concern. If we are to get the Kite made to-day, you must all obey orders. Mary, you and Jeanie can find me some strips of coloured paper, can't you, for the tail; and Dora, ask Nelson if she can let us have a long ball of string."

And so the work went on merrily. Bob and Tom doing the looking on, and Mary and Jean smoothing and snipping the bits for the tail, and making the tassel for the end. Dora fetched