no sign of recognition. He sees John, and he goes slowly and deliberately out of his way to pass John by, without a look or a sniff. He comes upstairs every morning when his master's shaving-water is brought. He will torment his master sometimes for hours to be taken out to walk; he will interrupt his master's work, disturb his master's afternoon nap, and refuse all invitations to run away for a walk on his own account. And the moment he and his master have started, he will join the first absolute stranger he meets, and walk off with that stranger in the opposite direction, and in the most confidential manner possible! There are days when he will do everything he should do, everything he is told to do, everything he is wanted to do. There are days and days together when he does nothing that is right, when he is disobedient, disrespectful, disobliging, even disagreeable; and all this on purpose! It is hard to know what to do with Roy: how to treat him; how to bring him up. He may improve as he grows older. Perhaps to his unfortunate infirmity may be ascribed his uncertainty and his variability of temper and disposition. It is possible that he cannot hear even what he wants to hear. It is not impossible that he is making-believe all the time. One great good thing can be said for Roy: he is never really cross; he never snaps; he never snarls; he never bites his human friends, no matter how great the provocation may be. Roy is a canine enigma, the most eccentric of characters. His family cannot determine whether he is a gump or a genius. But they know he is nice; and they like him! IN THE WALNUT GROVE. BY FRANK H. SWEET. SWAY, branches of the walnut-tree, sway gently to and fro; THE BIG BOOBOO AND THE LITTLE BOOBOO. BY GERTRUDE SMITH. AND one day the wind was blowingthe wind was blowing a perfect gale, and the little Booboo went out in the garden to ride. white little new hat, too, but he never saw it again! And the big silver poplar tree that grew by the garden gate shook in the He rode on the big Booboo's shoulder, wind, and bent in the wind, and quivered and held very tight to his ear, for he was afraid the wind would blow him away; and it did blow his hat away. up up, its shining leaves. And the two little cherry-trees that grew by the side of the lake shook in the wind, and bent in the wind, and quivered their shining leaves. And all of the roses on all of the bushes nodded and bowed in the wind. Everything that grew in the garden was moving and twisting and dancing and turning about in the wind. It was very exciting to Robbie. "I'll catch the wind and hold it!" he cried. "The roses do not like to shake. The trees will be tired, papa!" And he threw out his little arms and tried to catch the wind. His father laughed. "The wind says: Woo! woo! I'll catch you, little Booboo, and toss you about like a leaf. But there 's not a boy or a man or a giant can get his arms around me!"" And Robbie rode on his father's shoulder out through the gate, and down the lane, and into the apple orchard. And all the apples that grew on the trees shook in the wind, and bobbed in the wind, and fell with a bounce to the ground. The ground was covered with apples; all over the ground the apples lay. And the little Booboo ran about under and away and away. It was a nice little the trees, and picked up apples and put them in a basket; and the big Booboo ran about under the trees, and picked up apples and put them in a basket. "Where is our little boy?' And all at once Robbie's mother looked around and said: "Where is our little boy?" Robbie was nowhere in sight! And his father said: "I'm afraid he has blown away!" And his mother said: "I'm sure he has blown away!" And they looked and they looked and they looked and they looked, but nowhere could they find him! All of the time Robbie was hid in one of the largest baskets- deep down in one of the baskets! He hid there just for fun. And oh, how frightened his father was, and oh, how frightened his mother was, when he popped up his head and cried: "Boo! boo! I see you looking for I did n't blow away!" And a big apple fell with a bounce on the big Booboo's head, and a big apple fell with a bounce on the little Booboo's head. And the big Booboo said: "I wonder who will cry for a big, big bump on his head?" And the little Booboo said, "I'll not cry for a big, big bump on my head." He looked up and smiled, but the tears rolled down his cheeks! And mama came out with a basket and picked up apples too. And she said: "Who ever, ever knew the wind to blow like this?" And all at once Robbie's father looked around and said: |