He looked at the artistic miniature furniture, the decorations, the low padded seat which ran around the walls--at once a seat and a cupboard for toys.

He looked at the sunlight, the screened verandah, the awning, the flowers, the birds hopping over the lawn, the river gleaming through the trees.
"Miss Spencer," he said, "I congratulate you.

If they could understand me, I would congratulate these happy youngsters, too." "But don't you think it's altogether wrong," said Professor Marsh, "to deprive a child of the advantages of home life ?" "I read and hear that so often," said Mary, "that I have adopted my own method of replying to it." She led her visitors into a small room with a low ceiling.

It was furnished with a cookstove, a table, a small side-board, an old conch and a few chairs.

The floor was splintery and only partly covered by frayed rugs and worn oil cloth.