"Yes, dear child," said the mother, happy tears springing to her eyes, "Oh, how great is His goodness to us unworthy creatures! so much of mercy and blessing here and the certainty of endless joy and bliss beyond! Life has its dark and dreary days, but after all there is more of brightness, to those who look for it, than of gloom." "I believe that is true, mother," responded Mildred, "though when the dark and dreary days are upon us, it is sometimes very difficult to hold fast to one's faith. "I do love this time of year," she added, leaning from the window to watch the ferryboat slowly crossing, "'Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, A box where sweets compacted lie.'" "Come, let us go out; I think we may spare an hour to the garden this morning," Mrs. Keith said gayly, leading the way. "What a blessing, among others, it is to have a good reliable girl in the kitchen!" "Yes," laughed Mildred, "I could almost have hugged Celestia Ann; I was so glad to see her. What do you suppose brought her just at this time, mother?" "Need of money for summer finery, I presume. See, our morning glories are coming up nicely." "Mother, mother, and Milly," cried Fan running to them in an ecstasy of delight, "my speckled hen has thirteen little chicks, the prettiest bits of fuzzy things you ever saw. Do come and look!" She turned and sped back again toward the chicken yard, mother and sister following. The other three little ones were there watching "Speckle" and her brood with intense interest. "See! see! mamma, Milly! see! see!" cried Baby Annis in a flutter of delight, holding her little skirts close to her chubby legs, as the "bits of fuzzy things" ran hither and thither about her feet, "pitty 'ittle chickies, dust tum out of eggs." "Yes, dears, they are very pretty," Mrs. Keith said; "but they are very tender little things; so be careful not to hurt them. No, Cyril, don't pick them up, and be sure you don't step on them. You may go to the house for some bread crumbs, Fan, and you and Annis may feed them." This permission gave great pleasure, and Fan's small feet went skipping and dancing through the garden in the direction of the kitchen door. Then mother must look at Annis's hen sitting on her nest, and notice how the older broods, belonging to Cyril and Don, were growing in size and strength; Zillah's and Ada's also; and hear how many eggs the other nests had furnished this morning. After that the gardens were submitted to her inspection, Mildred still bearing her company, both making suggestions and giving assistance. And so a full hour had slipped by before they returned to the house, and Rupert, they found, had made great progress with his work. "I've painted the whole end, mother; do you see?" he called to her; "and now I'm beginning this side. I think I'll have the whole job done to-day." "You have been very industrious," she said, "but don't make haste so fast that it will not be done well."