till the winter time, when she was shut up in the
yard and fed on hay. He then weaned the calf, which was a cow-calf, and
they had no more trouble with the mother. Alice soon learnt to milk
her, and she became very tractable and good-tempered. Such was the
commencement of the dairy at the cottage.

"Jacob," said Humphrey, "when do you go to Lymington again?"

"Why, I do not know. The end of August, as it is now, and the month of
September, is not good for venison; and, therefore, I do not see what I
shall have to go for."

"Well, I wish, when you do go, you would get something for Alice and
something for me."

"And what is it that Alice wants?"

"She wants a kitten."

"Well, I think I may find that. And what do you want, Humphrey?"

"I want a dog. Smoker is yours altogether; I want a dog for myself, to
bring up after my own fashion."

"Well, I ought to look-out for another dog: although Smoker is not old,
yet one ought to have two dogs to one's gun, in case of accident."

"I think so too," replied Edward; "see if you can get two puppies, one
for Humphrey, and one for myself."

"Well, I must not go to Lymington for them. I must cross the forest, to
see some friends of mine whom I have not seen for a long while, and I
may get some of the right sort of puppies there, just like Smoker. I'll
do that at once, as I may have to wait for them, even if I do have the
promise."

"May I go with you, Jacob?" said Edward.

"Why, I would rather not; they may ask questions."

"And so would I rather he would not, for he will shirk his work here."

"Why, what is there to do, Humphrey?"

"Plenty to do, and hard work, Edward; the acorns are fit for beating
down, and we want a great many bushels for the pigs. We have to fatten
three, and to feed the rest during the winter. I cannot get on well
with only Alice and Edith; so if you are not very lazy, you will stay
with us and help us."

"Humphrey, you think of nothing but your pigs and farm-yard."

"And you are too great a hunter to think of anything but a stag; but a
bird in the hand's worth two in the bush, in my opinion; and I'll make
more by my farm-yard than you ever will by the forest."

"Humphrey has nothing to do with the poultry and eggs, has he, Edward?
They belong to Edith and me and Jacob shall take them to Lymington and
sell them for us, and get us some new clothes for Sunday, for these
begin to look rather worn--and no wonder."

"No, dearest, the