by.

"'Care is heavy, therefore sleep you;
You are care, and care must keep you.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby.
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.'"

Hildegarde glanced at the bed, and saw that Rose's eyes were just
closing. Still humming the last lines of the lullaby, she cast about in
her mind for something else; and there came to her another song of
quaint old Thomas Dekker, which she loved even more than the other. She
sang softly,--

"'Art thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers?
O sweet Content!
Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplexed?
O Punishment!
Dost laugh to see how fools are vexed
To add to golden numbers golden numbers?
O sweet Content, O sweet, O sweet Content!

"'Canst drink the waters of the crisped spring?
O sweet Content!
Swim'st thou in wealth, yet sink'st in thine own tears?
O Punishment!
Then he that patiently Want's burden bears
No burden bears, but is a king, a king.
O sweet Content, O sweet, O sweet Content.'"

Once more Hildegarde glanced at the bed; then, rising softly and still
humming the lovely refrain, she slipped out of the room; for Rose, the
"sweet content" resting like sunshine on her face, was asleep.

CHAPTER V.

ON THE RIVER.

Hildegarde went softly downstairs, and stood in the doorway for a few
minutes, looking about her. The house was very still; nothing seemed to
be stirring, or even awake, except herself. She peeped into the parlor,
and saw Cousin Wealthy placidly sleeping in her easy-chair. At her feet,
on a round hassock, lay Dr. Johnson, also sleeping soundly. "It is the
enchanted palace," said Hildegarde to herself; "only the princess has
grown old in the hundred years,--but so prettily old!--and the prince
would have to be a stately old gentleman to match her." She went out on
the lawn; still there was no sound, save the chirping of grasshoppers
and crickets. It was still the golden prime of a perfect June day; what
would be the most beautiful thing to do where all was beauty? Read, or
write letters? No! that she could do when the glory had begun to fade.
She walked about here and there,--"just enjoying herself," she said. She
touched the white heads of the daisies; but did not pick them, because
they looked so