-Summer,--Autumn,--Winter,--and, my young friends, you
will be wise to do the same, for, do you know, this trustful feeling is
called 'faith.'"

The Rook then shut his learned beak, and opened and spread his wide
black wings, and slowly sailed away, leaving the Blackbird and the Robin
to meditate on all that he had been telling them. At last the Robin
broke silence with "Have you breakfasted?"

"Yes, I have," replied the Blackbird, "on a few poor ivy-berries, but
I'm still rather hungry."

"Then come with me," said the Robin, "and you shall soon have a right
good feast." Off the birds flew, and swiftly passed over one or two
snow-covered fields, and then by a long avenue of lime-trees. They came
at last to a level lawn, at the end of which stood an old gabled
mansion, built of gray stone; ivy climbed round the pillars of an arcade
at the east end of the house, and ivy covered the west corner. The
time-stained gables, surmounted by round stone balls, stood out in the
sunshine, and the dark tiles of the roof peeped out here and there from
their snowy covering. The two friends flew to the west side of the
mansion, which overlooked a smooth grassy terrace and garden. Beyond was
a lake, and then came a wood behind which the sun sank, each evening, to
rest. Gray gables rose on this side of the house also, and there was a
large bay window which the Blackbird soon discovered to be the window of
the dining-room. There were some thick laurel-bushes beyond this window,
to which the two birds flew, and then they stopped to rest and look
about them. The Blackbird gazed admiringly at the old house, and with
especial interest at the bay window.

Standing there was quite the dearest little couple he had ever seen, a
little girl and boy.

The boy was a brave little man of about four years of age, with two dark
eyes, and thick curly brown hair. His face was positively brimming over
with fun and mischief. Standing by his side, and clasping his hand with
plump little fingers, was a little girl of some two and a half years.
She had a round baby face, gray eyes, and the sweet bloom of babyhood
was on her cheek. Her eyes had that wondering, far-away look, which is
so very bewitching in quite little children, and her small rosy mouth
showed some very white teeth, especially when she laughed, which was not
by any means seldom.

It was evident that these little ones were waiting for something of
interest, for they stood very patiently, an