Little Homespun

s is absoliitel. true lit niost of the info-niationn -- 1897 -- CONTENTS. LITTLE HOMESPUN. everything far and near fairly revelling in the early summer sunshine. The Potoinac, blue as the sky above it, sparkling and dancing, the new young leaves on the oak trees shimmering and shining with the marvellous green of springtime, and the dear old Virginia homestead, overhanging the river, never looking inore homelike and attractive in all its quiet life. The reason for this did not lie all in the sunshine either. Just outside the door, on the wide gallery, a darling old lady sat knitting, for as darlzzzg means dearly beloved, no other word could so truly describe her. Everybocly worshipped her and regarded her-as well they might-with unspeakable devotion for darling old ladies, as you very well know, do not grow on every bush-quite to the contrary - a gi-eat many old ladies bless their tired old hearts grow fretful and nervous and fussy, and are hard to please, not to say cranky. Hut v110 would blame them for this for a minute Just as 1il cly as not you and I will be cranky enough ourselves, when. we have borne the burden of fourscore years, and are pretty well worn out in mind and spirit and body. Rut here was an old lady who was not worn out. Her hair was white with tlle in comparable whiteness of aged hair, and there were the indelible marks of age on the sweet, earnest face, but this dear old lady was 4 4 sunny. She had had her own full share of sorrows and worries, and she had talten them all very much to heart-as people must whose hearts are big enough to take things to at alland as tender as hearts really ought to be. But someho v or other, she had learned the secret of not being overcome by the worries and the sorrows, and so, sitting there knitting that peerless June morning, she and the sunshine together seemed to glorify everything about them. Presently a little specimen appeared in the doorway a handsome little fellow too, though he did not have any curls, as most children do who find their way into story books, but his hair was golden, and, though cut quite short, as he insisted upon llaving it, had a little trick of straying down on his forehead in quite irresistible fashion... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.