ispered in Elsie's ear, "Massa not vexed wid you, darlin'?"

Elsie smiled and shook her head. "No, mammy, not now."

The little girls were awake unusually early the next morning, and the
first thing they did was to run to the window to ascertain the state of
the weather. It was all they could desire; a little cooler than the
day before, but without the slightest appearance of rain; so the young
faces that surrounded the breakfast table were very bright and happy.

The carriages were at the door very soon after they left the table. It
did not take many minutes to pack them, and then they set off all in high
glee; more especially the little ones.

Everything passed off well; there was no accident, all were in good
humor, the children on their best behavior, and they found the
strawberries and cream very fine; so that when the day was over,
it was unanimously voted a decided success.

A few days after this the children were again in their favorite spot down
by the brook. They were sitting on the grass talking, for it was almost
too warm to play.

"How nice and cool the water looks!" remarked Sophy, "Let's pull off our
shoes and stockings, and hold up our dresses and wade about in it. It
isn't at all deep, and I know it would feel so good and cool to our
feet."

"Bravo! that's a capital idea!" cried Harold, beginning at once to divest
himself of his shoos and stockings; then rolling his pantaloons up to his
knees he stepped in, followed by Sophy, who had made her preparations
with equal dispatch.

"Come, Elsie, aren't you going to get in, too?" she asked, for Elsie
still sat on the bank making no movement towards following their example.

"I should like to, very much; but I don't know whether papa would approve
of it."

"Why, what objection could he have? it can't do us any harm, for I'm sure
we couldn't drown if we tried," said Harold. "Come now, Elsie, don't be
so silly. I wouldn't ask you to do anything your papa had forbidden, but
he never said you shouldn't wade in the brook, did he?"

"No, he never said anything about it," she answered, smiling, "for I
never thought of doing such a thing before."

"Come, Elsie, do," urged Sophy; "it is such fun;" and at length Elsie
yielded, and was soon enjoying the sport as keenly as the others.

But after a while they grew tired of wading, and began to amuse
themselves by sailing bits of bark and leaves on the water. Then Harold
proposed building a dam; and altogethe