aughter from old
and young.

A loud squeal came next from a young pig in a dish placed before Mr.
Dinsmore, and the song of the blackbird from a pie Grandma Elsie was
beginning to help.

"'Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,'" remarked Mr. Lilburn
gravely.

"'When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before a king?'

"Ah ha! um h'm! ah ha! history repeats itself. But, Cousin Elsie, I
didna expect to be treated to a meal o' livin' creatures in your house."

"Did you not?" she returned with a smile. "Life is full of surprises."

"And grandpa and Ned go on carving without any apparent thought of the
cruelty of cutting into living creatures," laughed Zoe.

"And what a singular circumstance that chickens baked in a pie should
sing like blackbirds," remarked Grandma Elsie.

"Very indeed!" said Capt. Raymond. "I move that some one prepare an
article on the subject for one of the leading magazines."

"No one better qualified for the task than yourself, sir," said his
brother-in-law, Mr. Lester Leland.

"You will surely except our Cousin Ronald," said the captain; "doubtless
he knows more about the phenomenon than any other person present."

"O Cousin Ronald," broke in Walter, "as we can't go skating this
afternoon, won't you please tell us young ones some of your famous
stories?"

"Perhaps, laddie; but there may be some other amusement provided, and in
that case the tales will keep. It strikes me I heard some o' the leddies
laying plans for the afternoon and evening?" he added, turning
inquiringly in Zoe's direction.

"Yes, sir," she said, "we are getting up some tableaux, but are ready
to defer them if any one wishes to do something else."

"I think we will not tax Cousin Ronald with story telling to-day," said
Grandma Elsie: "he has been making a good deal of exertion in skating,
and I know must feel weary."

"Are you, Cousin Ronald?" asked Walter.

"Well, laddie, I can no deny that there have been times when I've felt a
bit brighter and more in the mood for spinning out a yarn, as the
sailors say."

"And perhaps you'd like to see the tableaux too, sir?"

"Yes, I own that I should."

That settled the question. "We will have the tableaux," Grandma Elsie
said, and every body seemed well satisfied with the decision.

Preparations were begun almost immediately on leaving the table, and
pretty much all the short winter afternoon occupied with them.

They ha