The Story of A DEWDROP. [Illustration] THE STORY OF A DEWDROP J. R. MACDUFF D D WITH FOUR COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS LONDON MARCUS WARD & CO BELFAST 1881 FOREWORDS. To Charlie. A Dewdrop is a small affair; and the world would not be the least interested, nor a bit the wiser, by knowing how I come affectionately to dedicate the story I have written about it to _you_. I may tell you it was one line of eleven words, read one night from a musty old volume of last century, which suggested it. Everybody must have their play-hours and moments of recreation. I think I have gone back to other and more serious work all the better after writing a page or two of what follows. I am happy thus to have had my little holiday along with you in this ideal region of quaint conceits. Shall we hope that others may share our pleasure? Let us try. _List of_ ILLUSTRATIONS. _The Procession of the Queen of the Morning_ (p. 41), _Frontispiece._ _The Bird-talk and its surroundings,_ 14 _The Nightingale and the Dewdrop,_ 19 _The Ascent of the Million Army,_ 53 _The Story of_ A DEWDROP. CHAPTER THE FIRST. Three birds of very favourable repute in these regions met together one evening--a Thrush, a Lark, and a Nightingale. And all for what purpose, think you? It was a queer one--to hold a solemn conference about a DEWDROP! Yes, it must be allowed it was an original thought which brought these three feathered friends thus into council; and a pretty talk to be sure they had about it.