sie wondered more and more at the question her
uncle had asked her about enjoying their visit.

"I don't see what Uncle Morris meant," said she to herself one afternoon,
while her cousins were on the lawn laughing and playing with Guy, and she
was washing her hands by way of preparation for tea. "He looked and
sighed," she went on to say, "as if he thought I should be disappointed in
them. But I am not. They are the kindest, merriest cousins in the world. I
declare I'll ask Uncle Morris what he meant, the next time I see him
alone."

That next time came very soon, for as Jessie skipped down stairs, with
laughter twinkling in her eyes, and a song tripping from her tongue, she
met her uncle in the hall. Running right to him, she seized his arm,
peered curiously into his face, and said--

"Uncle Morris?"

"Well, little puss, what now?" replied the old gentleman, as he kissed her
rosy cheeks.

"I want you to tell me what you sighed and shook your head for, last week,
when I told you what good times I was going to have with my cousins?" said
Jessie, closely watching the expression of the old gentleman's face.

There was a merry twinkle in Uncle Morris's eyes, as he replied, "You have
a good memory for a laughing little puss. Well, I'm glad you have not yet
found out why I sighed. I hope you won't make the discovery, though I fear
you will before another week passes. There is a proverb which says, _It's
only the shoe that knows whether the stocking has holes in it or not._
Now, Jessie, if you can find out the meaning of this proverb, you will
know why I sighed. If you don't find it out in a week, I'll explain it to
you."

"How funny!" exclaimed the little girl; and then, putting on a thoughtful
air, she repeated the proverb slowly, in an undertone; after which, she
added aloud, "I don't see what shoes and stockings have to do with my
cousins and me. What a funny man you are, Uncle Morris!"

Uncle Morris had, by this time, reached the door leading to the back
piazza. He heard this exclamation, however, and turning round, with the
door-knob in his hand, he peeped through the opening, shook his forefinger
at her, and said--

"When Jessie knows her cousins as the shoe knows the stocking, she will be
able to tell why I sighed. Ha! ha! ha! Uncle Morris is a funny man, is
he?"

Just then a loud voice was heard ringing through the hall, and saying--

"Cousin Jessie! Cousin Jessie! come here quick! Your ugly old dog is
k