his first pupil, and say half
regretfully--

"_You_ might excel me if you chose, Basil. I could sometimes find it in
my heart to wish that you too had been born a poor boy with his way to
make in the world."

And Basil Iltyd would laugh as he told Uric that his affection made him
over-estimate his pupil's talent.

"Though, such as it is," he added, "I have to thank you for having drawn
it out, and added untold pleasure to my life."

For though Basil had too many other duties to attend to for it to be
possible for him to devote very much time to music, he never neglected
it, and never forgot the gratitude he owed his mother for encouraging
his boyish taste.

"Above all," Lady Iltyd used often to say, "as in mastering the violin,
you gained your first battle over impatience and want of perseverance."

"My first but not my last," he would answer brightly. For Basil came to
be known for steady, cheerful determination, which, after all, is worth
many more brilliant gifts in the journey through life, which to even the
most fortunate is uphill and rugged and perplexing at times.

THE MISSING BON-BONS

A TRUE STORY

CHAPTER I

"Let it either be grave or glad
If only it may be true."

DEAR me, such a lot of children! At first you could hardly have believed
that they were all brothers and sisters--such a number there seemed, and
several so nearly of a size. There were--let me see--two, three, four,
actually five girls of varying heights, the two elder, twins apparently,
for in all respects they resembled each other so closely; three or four
boys, too, from Jack of fourteen to little hop-o'-my-thumb Chris of six.
There they were all together in the large empty playroom at Landell's
Manor, dancing, jumping, shouting, as only a roomful of perfectly
healthy children, under the influence of some unusual and delightful
excitement, can dance, and jump, and shout.

"Miss Campbell's coming to-day--joy, joy!" exclaimed one or two of the
little girls.

"Miss Campbell is coming, hurrah, hurrah!" sang Jack to the tune
irresistibly suggested by the words, and others joining in the chorus,
till the next boy created a diversion by starting the rival air of--

"Home for the holidays here we be,
Out of the clutches of L.L.D."

"'Tisn't home for the holidays," objected the smallest girl but one.
"Miss Campbell's never going to school no more. Her's coming home for
all-a-ways.