y chicks blowing away from the mother wing.

"Isn't it jolly?" she chirped, as she threw her muff on the floor and
made a dive for Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson is a cat, as black as the
ace of spades and as pugilistic a feline as ever walked a fence.

"Isn't what jolly?" I queried. "The weather or your sprightly self? Do
you know, you'd make a splendid poster now for some new-fangled
cork-soled walking shoe? Or perhaps a bearskin ulster for Klondike
wear. I'm sure a feather boa concern would pay a fortune for your
picture. I would I were an artist man, with a little brush and a little
pencil and a little palette with nice little paint puddles on it----"

"What-in-the-world? Here I start in to dilate upon the joys of exercise
and off you go, just like a musical top with your buzz-buzz-buzz, and
your incomprehensible talk about little painters and little palettes
and little paint puddles. I'm sure it's not a bit nice of you."

Peter Jackson was shoved to the floor.

"But walking is jolly!" she piped, "and I've just had the very
gloriousest tramp and I feel as fine as a--what is it they say? Oh, as
fine as a violin--I--I mean fiddle. I walked miles and miles--perhaps
not quite so far--and the wind was blowing a blue streak right in my
face. Ugh! first it made me shiver and creep up into my collar. But
bimeby I got nice and warmy, and my cheeks tingled. I felt as if I
could walk from here to the place where the sun goes down. Do you know,
I never before realized how much fun it was to take a good tramp. I've
half a mind to reform from my role of lazy-bones and walk every day,
whether it snows, blows, cyclones, or turns warm, and fells us all with
sunstrokes and heat prostrations."

"Health is the vital principle of bliss, and exercise of health," said
I, quoting Thomson.

"Oh, well," and my pretty, rosy-cheeked guest arose. "I must be going.
You know how it is when one gets to preaching physical culture and
spouting poetry. Ta-ta!" and away she went, like the fleeting memory of
last night's dream.

* * * * *

If women paid as much attention to exercise as do men there would not
be so many wrinkles and stooped shoulders among the feminine sex, and
old age wouldn't rap on the door ahead of time. The girl who goes in
for outdoor sport, who isn't afraid of walking a block or two, who
loves the cold air and who revels in wheeling and swimming and skating,
is the one who won't be