by on the uncovered piazza.

[Illustration: LILY-TOES IN THE SHOWER.]

Oh, how it poured! Grandpa and his man got as far as the wagon-shed just
as the worst came, and they stayed there. Grandma was weather-bound
along with her young turkeys in the granary. And Lily-toes!--no one will
ever know what her reflections were for a few moments. I imagine she
rather liked the first drops; for she was always fond of plashing about
in her bath-tub, and had no fear of water in reasonable quantities. But
when the wind began to dash the rain in her face, probably she first
gasped in astonishment, and then kicked, and, eventually, as everybody
knew, screamed! Yes; aunties, visitors, and mamma, as they met in the
hall and shrieked to each other about the storm, heard, at last, in the
lull of the gale, a sound of indignant squalling.

Then there was another scamper. Lily-toes was snatched in-doors and
borne along amid a tempest of astonishment and pity, until one visitor
burst out laughing; and then all laughed except the mamma, who kept a
straight face until baby stopped crying and smiled around on them like
wet sunlight.

Before grandma could reach the house, Lily-toes had been rubbed very dry
and put into dry clothes; but her wrapper and petticoats and stockings
and blue shoes, lying in a sopping heap on the floor, told the tale to
grandma and grandpa and the hired man, who all agreed it was a burning
shame to forget Lily-toes, even for five minutes; and the hired man went
so far as to remark that, "If there had been a few more women-folks in
the house, she'd most likely been drown-ded." And Lily-toes looked at
him gratefully, as if he had spoken the very words she had longed to
say.

"THANKS TO YOU."

BY MARY E. BRADLEY.

[Illustration]

Every day for a month of Sundays,
Saturdays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Mondays,
Jack had pondered the various means
And methods pertaining to grinding machines,
Until he was sure he could build a wheel
That, given the sort of dam that's proper,
Would only need some corn in the hopper
To turn out very respectable meal.

Jerry and Jane and Jo, and the others,
Jack's incredulous sisters and brothers,
Gave him credit for good intentions,
But took no stock in the boy's inventions.
In fact they laughed them quite to scorn;
Instead of wasting his time, they said,
He would be more likely to earn his bread
Planting potatoes or hoeing corn!

Bessie alon