little disappointed.

Now, it so happened, that Ruth's "Surprise Collection" turned out to be pansies, asters, phlox and ragged sailors—all posies of bright pink, purple and crimson in various shades. Amy's garden plot was gay with marigolds, four-o'clocks, larkspurs, and bachelor's-buttons—all orange and yellow, blue and purple.

But Enid's flowers were nearly all white, and it was truly a surprise, though not a very agreeable one. She had white verbenas, sweet alyssum, candytuft, daisies and gillyflowers.

Consequently, her flower bed did not attract as much attention from the passers-by as did the gay ones of her sisters.

"Anyhow, almost all my posies are sweet-smelling," the little girl said, trying her best to be contented. For, after all, to own flowers, every one of which was fragrant, was a comfort.

Then, there came another comfort—a real "surprise" comfort. Late one evening, after the family had been away all day, attending the Sunday-school picnic, and drove home in the moonlight, what do you suppose they saw as they turned in at the gateway? Why, there on the lawn, was a great circle of white, gleaming like frosted silver.

"Wonder if a sheet has blown off the clothesline," said grandma.

"Oh, it isn't a sheet—it's my flower bed! It's my dear, darling white posies!"

And, sure enough, the white flowers could be seen in the dark, when all the gay reds and yellows and blues and purples were dim and dull.

Enid felt very happy.

"I like 'surprise collections' you can see at night," she said.

TRUE LOVE.

A RUNAWAY UMBRELLA.

There was a big umbrella with a pretty twisted handle, that belonged to father, and he carried it down town on rainy days. There was a little brown-eyed girl, who was four years old her last birthday; that was Marjorie.

There was a mischievous south wind that would be quiet for a long time and then come with a quick gust and blow, oh, ever so hard and play all sorts of pranks on people.

Then, there was a lady who sat on a porch not very far from Marjorie's house. These four together made a story, and that's what I am going to tell you about.

It was a beautiful sunny day and Marjorie was going out in the front yard to play. As she went through the hall there, by the hall tree, stood the big umbrella.

"Wouldn't it be fun to take the umbrella and play rainy day?" she thought. So she reached and picked it up.

Through the door, across the porch and down onto the sidewalk she ran. She worked a long while before she could get the umbrella to stay up.

"Now, I am a big lady with a long dress and I am going over to the store," she said to herself as she gathered her little short