sy at work on
the pictures."]

The girl eagerly obeyed, and soon the two little mischief-makers were
busy at work on the old family pictures. They could not understand the
value or the beauty of the mellow browns and dark colours of the
portraits, and they only acted with the intention of giving their
parents a pleasant surprise. But they forgot that it is possible to do
much harm through heedlessness and ignorant haste as well as wilfully.

[Illustration: "Piggy lifted the heavy lid to feed upon the cheese,"]

But how happy they were! 'The old lady, now she's got some pink in her
checks, and wears such a lovely sky-blue gown, is almost as nice as
mother when she's going to a party,' said Ella, admiringly, 'but I am
not pleased with the gentleman yet. Can't we make him smarter, Syd?'

'Let's cut a button-hole in the picture, and stick a nice carnation in
his coat. Be quick, Ella.'

* * * * *

There could be no doubt about the surprise. Never were parents more
taken aback than Ella's and Syd's, when they saw the wonderful
transformation made in their ancestors. Mother gasped some inarticulate
words, but Father simply remained speechless and aghast, for several of
the valuable old pictures were badly damaged, and the children's
heedless behaviour meant a serious loss to him.

'Surprises are not pleasant things at all,' sobbed Ella, shortly
afterwards, in bed.

'That beastly game!' growled Syd, hiding his face in the pillow, ashamed
of the tears he could not restrain. 'I knew nothing nice could come of
it. It's just like Millie to let us get into a scrape.'

Perhaps he was unjust, but Millie was not particularly happy either. It
was tiresome to have to look after wild children, and much more amusing
to read; but now the story-book was locked away, and Mother did not seem
to think that Millie had even _played_ at being good. So that this
'pleasant surprise' had only one good result, and that was not the one
which was expected. All three children learnt that it was much better to
_be_ good than simply to _play_ at it.

GLIMPSES OF HEDGEHOG LIFE.

A boy who was on a visit to the country once said to me, 'I do so want
to find a hedgehog; please tell me where to look for one.' All I could
reply was, 'It is not very easy to find a hedgehog. The likeliest place
to pop upon one is near some hedgerow; you know he is called _hedge_hog,
or hedgepig. But he much prefers darkness to l