tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">4.  ON THE WAY TO EGYPT.

1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,—I am writing this letter on board the big ship which is taking me to Egypt. Let me tell you what I have seen and done since I left Paris.

2. It is a long day's ride from Paris to the seaport from which my ship set sail. Let me tell you about the journey. A few hours after leaving Paris the train began to run through vineyards.

3. At this time of the year a vineyard is a pretty sight. The broad leaves of the vine are tinted with crimson and gold. Beneath them are the purple or golden grapes.

THE GRAPE HARVEST.
(From the picture by P.M. Dupuy in the Salon of 1909. Bought by the State.)

4. As I passed through France the grapes were ripe, and were being gathered. I could see women and children going up and down between the rows of vines. They plucked the ripe fruit and put it into baskets. When the baskets were filled they were emptied into a big tub.

5. When the tub was filled it was taken to a building near at hand. In this building there is a press which squeezes the juice out of the grapes. The grape juice is then made into wine.

6. As evening drew on we came to a large town where two big rivers meet. It is a busy town, and has many smoky chimneys. Much silk and velvet are made in this town.

7. I think you know that silk is made by the silkworm. This worm feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree. In the south of France there are thousands of mulberry trees. There are also many orange and olive trees.

8. The weather is much warmer in the south of France than it is in England. In the early spring all sorts of pretty flowers are grown on the hillsides. They are sent to England, and are sold in the shops when our gardens are bare.

9. Now I must hurry on. For some hours we ran by the side of a swift river; with mountains on both sides of us. Then we reached the big seaport, and there I found my ship waiting for me.

GAMES ON BOARD FATHER'S SHIP.
(From the picture by W.L. Wylie. By kind permission of the P. and O. Co.)

10. It is a huge ship, with hundreds of cabins, a large dining-room, drawing-room and smoking-room. It is really a floating hotel.

11. Most of the people on board are going to India. All day long they sit in chairs on the deck reading. Some of us play games, and at night we have dances and concerts.

12. We have now been four days at sea. To-morrow we shall reach a town by the side of a great canal. This town and canal are in Egypt.

13. I hope you are still good and happy.—Best love to you all. FATHER.

5.  A LETTER FROM EGYPT.

The Nile in Flood.
(From the picture by F. Goodall, R. A., in the Guildhall Gallery. By permission of the Corporation of London.)

1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,—With this letter I am sending you a beautiful picture. Look at it carefully, and you will see what Egypt is like.

2. The water which you see in the picture is part of the great river Nile. If there were no Nile to water the land, Egypt would be nothing but a desert.

3. Once a year, as a rule, the Nile rises and overflows its banks. The waters spread out over the country and cover it with rich mud. In this mud much cotton, sugar, grain, and rice are grown.

4. Egypt now belongs to the British. They have turned part of the Nile into a huge lake, in which the water is stored.

5. The water is let out of the lake when it is needed. It runs into canals, and then into drains, which cross the fields and water them.

6. A sail along the Nile is very pleasant. There are lovely tints of green on the water. As the boat glides on, many villages are passed. Each of these has its snow-white temple.

7. All along the river bank there are palm trees. They wave their crowns of green leaves high in the air. The fields are gay with colour. Above all is the bright blue sky.

The Chief City of Egypt.
(From the picture by Talbot Kelly, R.I.)

8. Look at the picture again. At a short distance from the water you see a village. It has a wall round it, and outside the wall is a ditch. In October the ditch is full of water; in spring it is dry.

9. In and near this ditch the children and the dogs of the villages play together. You can see two boys in the picture. One of them is standing by his mother. The other boy is riding on a buffalo.

10. In the middle of the village there is an open space. Sometimes this space is covered with bright green grass. Round it are rows of palm trees. The house of the chief stands on one side of this green.

11. Every village has its well, and every well has its water-wheel for drawing up the water. By the side of the well the old men of the village sit smoking and chatting. The women come to the well to fill their pitchers with water.

12. All the houses are built of Nile mud. This mud is dug out of the banks of the river. It is mixed with a little chopped straw to hold it together. Then it is put into moulds. After a time it is turned out of the moulds, and is left to dry in the sun.

6.  CHILDREN OF EGYPT.

1. In the picture you see two of the women of Egypt. One of them is standing at the edge of the river. She is filling her pitcher with water. The other woman is carrying a lamb in her arms.

2. The people of Egypt have changed but little since the days of Moses. The men have brown faces, white teeth, and bright black eyes. Most of them wear beards and shave their heads.

3. The women wear long dark cloaks. If they are well-to-do they cover their faces with a veil. They think it wrong to let their faces be seen by any men except their husbands.

4. I think Kate would like to hear something about the children. Those who have rich fathers wear beautiful clothes, and have a very happy time. Poor children wear few clothes, and are nearly always covered with dust.

5. Many of the boys go to school, and are taught just as you are. They read the same kind of books that you read.

6. The children of Egypt always obey their parents, and are never rude to them. I think they have very good manners.

7. All the people of Egypt love singing. Their voices are soft and sweet. The boatmen on the Nile sing as they row. The fruit-sellers sing as they cry their wares in the streets.

8. Many of the boys in the chief city of Egypt are donkey drivers. In Egypt donkeys are far more used for riding than horses. The donkeys are beautiful little animals, and they trot along very quickly.

9. Each