We went into the kitchen and found her laughing hysterically, while Ethel was picking up pieces of crockery that decorated the floor. It seems that the lunch dishes were piled up preparatory to washing them and piggy had run against the leg of the table and dislodged them with destructive effect. James entered the kitchen, holding the pig clasped to his ample chest. “There, Minerva, you see the animal is perfectly harmless.” “My, _my_, I never did see such a mouth,” said she. Ethel does not like to touch strange animals, but she wished to show Minerva how perfectly innocuous this little piggy was, and so she stroked its pink little snout and the next instant the little fellow had her finger in its mouth and sucked it as if it were a stick of candy. This at first frightened Minerva and it did not please my fastidious wife, but for the sake of the object lesson she said: “Now, you see, Minerva, this pig is even more harmless than a cat, for a cat has claws and this pig has only—” Alas, for Ethel. The pig showed what it could do by inserting its pearly teeth in her finger. She snatched her hand away in a moment, but Minerva’s confidence in pigs had been so lessened that we told James that he would better take his gift elsewhere. For my part I was not sorry to see the shiny little creature go. Pigs have never appealed to me as household pets. My ancestors came from England. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER X WE PLAN A CONCERT. IT was the day after we had given up that particular spot in the woods as a trysting place and we were all driving to the village in Bert’s wagon. We were going for two reasons; Ethel intended buying Minerva a new dress (for out doors), and I was going to find out something about the concert which I proposed giving. Ethel and I took turns in driving, while James and Minerva sat on the back seat. Great billows of clouds lapped the shores of blue above us and cast huge shadows on the hillside; shadows that moving changed the entire aspect of the places over which they passed. Bobolinks launched themselves and their songs at the same time and gave to the day a quality that no other songster is ever able to impart. It was a morning to inspire happiness. “What a heavenly country this is,” said Ethel; “I’d like to live here until the leaves color.” “I dare say it would be nice here in the winter time, too.” “Oof!” shuddered Ethel. “Pretty but dreadful. How can anyone keep warm in the country in the wintertime?”