ON THE SEASHORE

'The sands of the sea stretch far and fine,
The rocks start out of them sharp and slim.'
_A Legend of the Sea._


'Oh dear,' exclaimed Mrs. Vane one morning at breakfast two or three
days after the children's walk in to Seacove. Everybody looked up--the
two girls and Rough were at table with their father and mother. Mrs.
Vane had just opened and begun to read a letter. What could be the
matter?

'It is from Miss Millet,' she said; 'her sister's children have got
scarlet fever, and she has got a bad sore throat herself from nursing
them. They had no idea what it was at first,' she went on reading from
the letter; 'but of course she cannot come back to us for ever so long
on account of the infection.'

'Poor Miss Millet,' said Rosalys.

'_I_ don't mind,' said Biddy; 'I like having holidays.'

Alie, who was sitting next her, gave her a little touch.

'Hush, Biddy,' she said, 'that's just one of the things you say that
sound _so_ unkind.'

She spoke in a whisper, and fortunately for Bridget her father and