Eva jumped up and down with delight.

Then came supper, served in Mrs. Wainwright’s room, and after that music and a long merry talk, and at last, lest Mrs. Wainwright should be weary, the Raeburns took their way homeward over the lane and across the fields to the Manse.

Grace from the tower window watched them going, the light of the moon falling in golden clearness over the fields and farms just waiting for spring,

    “To serve the present age
     My calling to fulfill,

she whispered to herself.  “Good-night, dear ones all, good-night,” she said a little later climbing up the tower stair to her new room.

“God bless you, middle daughter,” said her father’s deep tones.

Soft, hushed footsteps pattered after the girl, step by step.  She thought herself all alone as she shut the door, but presently a cold nose was thrust against her hand, a furry head rubbed her knee.  Fido, the pet fox-terrier, had determined for his part to share the tower-room.

The Golden Bird.[2]

BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

In times gone by there was a king who had at the back of his castle a beautiful pleasure garden, in which stood a tree that bore golden apples.  As the apples ripened they were counted, but one morning one was missing.  Then the king was angry, and he ordered that a watch should be kept about the tree every night.  Now the king had three sons, and he sent the eldest to spend the whole night in the garden; so he watched till midnight, and then he could keep off sleep no longer, and in the morning another apple was missing.  The second son had to watch the following night; but it fared no better, for when twelve o’clock had struck he went to sleep, and in the morning another apple was missing.  Now came the turn of the third son to watch, and he was ready to do so; but the king had less trust in him, and believed he would acquit himself still worse than his brothers, but in the end he consented to let him try.  So the young man lay down under the tree to watch, and resolved that sleep should not be master.  When it struck twelve something came rushing through the air, and he saw in the moonlight a bird flying towards him, whose feathers glittered like gold.  The bird perched upon the tree, and had already pecked off an apple, when the young man let fly an arrow at it.  The bird flew away, but the arrow had struck its plumage, and one of its golden feathers fell to the ground; the young man picked it up, and taking it next morning to the king, told him what had happened in the night.  The king called his council together, and all declared that such a feather was worth more than the whole kingdom.

“Since the feather is so valuable,” said the king, “one is not enough for me; I must and will have the whole bird.”

So the eldest son set off, and, relying on his own cleverness, he thought he should soon find the golden bird.  When he had gone some distance he saw a fox sitting at the edge of a wood and he pointed his gun at him.  The fox cried out: