one seat to eat it, as they often did on pleasant
summer evenings. The stone seat was in such a position that the setting
sun shone very cheerily upon it. On this occasion, Rollo had finished
his milk, and was just going down to the brook by a little path which
led that way, in order to see if there were any fishes in the water;
while Jane was giving the last spoonful of her milk to their kitten. On
the stone near where Jane was sitting was a small birdcage. This cage
was one which Jane used to put her kitten in. The kitten was of a
mottled color, which gave to its fur somewhat the appearance of spots;
and so Jane called the little puss her _tiger_. As it was obviously
proper that a tiger should be kept in a cage, Jane had taken a canary
birdcage, which she found one day in the garret, and had used it to put
the kitten in. As she took the precaution never to keep the prisoner
shut up long at a time, and as she almost always fed it in the cage, the
kitten generally made no objections to going in whenever Jane desired
it.

"Here comes uncle George," said Rollo.

Jane was so busy pouring the spoonful of milk through the bars of the
cage into a little shallow basin, which she kept for the purpose within,
that she could not look up.

"He is coming down through the garden," added Rollo; "and he has got a
letter in his hand. It's from mother, I know."

So saying, Rollo began to caper about with delight, and then ran off to
meet his uncle. Jane finished the work of pouring out the milk as soon
as possible, and then followed him. They soon came back again, however,
accompanying their uncle, and conducting him to the stone seat, where
the children sat down to hear the letter.

"Rollo," said Mr. George, "how should you like to go to England?"

"To go to England?" said Rollo, in a tone of exultation; "_very much
indeed_."

"Should you dare to go alone?" said Mr. George; "that is, with nobody to
take care of you?"

"Yes, indeed!" said Rollo, emphatically. "I should not need any body to
take care of me."

"I don't know but you will have to go," said Mr. George; "and not only
take care of yourself, but of Jane besides."

"Why, am I to go too?" asked Jane. As she said this, she began to look
quite alarmed.

"How should you like the plan?" said Mr. George.

"O, I should not _dare_ to go," said Jane, shaking her head with a very
serious air. "I should not dare to go at all, unless I had somebody to
take care of me bigger