Produced by Annie McGuire. This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Internet Archive. HALF-PAST BEDTIME _By the Same Author_ THE CORNER OF HARLEY STREET PITY THE POOR BLIND VAGABONDS IN PÉRIGORD SONGS OUT OF SCHOOL THE PLAIN GIRL'S TALE [Illustration: HALF-PAST BEDTIME] HALF-PAST BEDTIME _BY_ H. H. BASHFORD AUTHOR OF "THE CORNER OF HARLEY STREET" ETC. _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR_ [Illustration] HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON, NEW YORK AND CHICAGO TO JOE & ADA MAGGS AND THE CHILDREN THAT LOVE THEM When Farmer Sun with rosy wink Says good-bye all, and drives away, When safe in fold the sheep-bells clink, And hard-worked horses munch their hay, When brown and blue eyes sleepy grow, And Nurse downstairs clears up the crumbs, When God pulls down His blind, and so What people call the twilight comes, Then lazy Moon lifts up her arm, Shakes back her hair and smooths her beams, And softly over field and farm Scatters the milk-white seed of dreams. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. MR JUGG 13 II. GWENDOLEN 29 III. THE LITTLE ICE-MEN 45 IV. UNCLE JOE'S STORY 61 V. BEARDY NED 75 VI. THE MAGIC SONG 89 VII. THE IMAGINARY BOY 105 VIII. THE HILL THAT REMEMBERED 121 IX. ST UNCUS 137 X. OLD MOTHER HUBBARD 151 XI. MARIAN'S PARTY 167 XII. THE SORROWFUL PICTURE 183 XIII. THE MOON-BOY'S FRIEND 199 XIV. THE CHRISTMAS TREE 215 ILLUSTRATIONS