The Black Spectacles.

OOP back the curtains, nurse,” said Bella, after she was in bed; "for I know I feel sure that to-morrow will be a stormy day."

6.

Why, look out now, Bella," said her sister Grace. "How can you say so? The stars are shining as bright as bright can be."

"That may be so, too; but the sun went down behind a cloud of yellow, and there wasn't a bit of red in the sky, for I was watching to see it."

“Well, we will see, Bella, when to-morrow comes;" and the two girls fell asleep, thinking of the next day's picnic.

The curtain, that had been looped back by the nurse, let in the first rays of the bright morning sun, and, after travelling quietly toward them, finally lighted upon the faces of the two sisters, waking them to the fact that it was some time past broad daylight.

"Yes, and a bright day, too, Bella. Where's your rain ?" Grace asked, while she dressed.

"Come here-only look! Red in the morning, the sailor's warning.' Don't you see there has been a bright streak of red over in the east, but it has faded out? I am sure it will storm. We will have rain before night."

Grace peered anxiously out, searching for the obnoxious red line predicting bad weather. When she found out where it was, she pronounced it yellow-decidedly yellow; but, as Bella persisted in calling it crimson, she only said, as she left the room:

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Very well; you know we will start at nine if it is pleasant."

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Yes, and it isn't six o'clock yet. O dear! how dreadful it will be if the rain spoils all our fun.”

But Grace was half-way down stairs, hurrying to prepare the luncheon; and when Bella joined her, half of the things were packed.

"O dear me !" she exclaimed. “I hope the pickles and vinegar won't tumble all over the pies and cakes like they did last year. The girls told me everything was ruined; they couldn't eat anything they carried. Do you see how dark it is growing?" The [sun went under a cloud for an instant, and then came out brighter than ever. clouding over already; I declare it is too bad!"

"It is all

"There, it is shining again!" exclaimed Grace "It is I think we could not have a more

as clear as possible.

charming day for our picnic.”

"But, Grace, you know you never think it will rain." The party was to start for the grove at nine, under the care of their teacher; and, at that hour, a large wagon with four horses drove up. The ride was not more than three or four miles, but the twenty boys and girls already seated thought this one of the best part of the day's pleasure, and the two girls were received and welcomed with warm exclamations of delight. As their basket was handed in, a number of voices cried, "Here, Grace, sit by me;" and, though room was instantly made for Bella, it was very evident that she was not the favourite. Bella's thoughts were entirely too much occupied to notice this, however; and, after she was fairly seated in the wagon, she found that Jessie, the youngest of the party, was on one side, and Rufus, the greatest tease in the school, on the other.

"How pleasant it is now!" she said. "I the ght the rain would come down in showers before nine o'clock. "Is it going to rain?" asked Jessie, opening wide her blue

eyes.

"It looked like it this morning, and last night there was a rainy sunset."

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Sorry! whose sorry? What's up? what's the matter?" said Rufus, catching a glimpse of Jessie's disappointed face.

"Bella says it is going to rain—is it?”

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I

"Of course-of course it will rain," said Rufus. shouldn't be one bit surprised if it rained more and harder than ever before."

Several of the others heard this, and anxiously scanned the bright blue sky for some appearance of rain.

"Take care of your bonnets and fine frocks," continued Rufus. "There's a storm coming. It will certainly rainyes, rain a good deal between now. "-he hesitated-" and Christmas."

He laughed heartily at his own joke, and the others joined in readily.

"So don't look downcast, Jess, until you hear or see the first drops."

Bella, much relieved, now appeared to be enjoying the drive with the others, when, suddenly, one of the wheels jolted over a large stone in the road, and bounced the wagon up higher than usual.

"Hurrah! that's fun!" exclaimed Rufus.

"How dreadful it would be if the wheel should run off! " said Bella, in a low voice, to Jessie. "I should think a jolt like that would make it, and how dreadful it would be! Just think of it, if this large wagon full of girls and boys should be tumbled over ! O dear! I wish we hadn't jolted over that stone so hard.

Jessie began to look pale at this suggestion, and just then the driver whipped up his horses a little faster than they had been going, and her fears increased when Bella continued:

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"O dear! I never thought about it before we started, but what would become of us if those great horses should

run away with us? How wild they look now! How foolish to have only one driver, when very often one man cannot manage one horse if it is running away.

Jessie was now trembling.

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Please, Grace, may I sit by you?" she asked. "I am so afraid something will happen.”

If she was not safer after changing her place, she felt so; and Bella was quiet the rest of the drive, as Rufus was on one side, and a girl who seldom noticed her on the other; and, besides the ride was soon over.

"I hope the pickles and vinegar haven't been pouring over our cake all this time," she said, dolefully, as the baskets were being taken out.

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Plenty for you if it has," replied Rufus, as the whole party prepared to cross the small bridge that led the way to the place selected for the picnic ground. Jessie clung to Grace as they passed over.

Bella hesitated and drew back as the others followed.

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Isn't that bridge very old? It looks so crazy. Suppose it should break?"

"You would fall in the water, then, and we should have to fish you out." said Rufus; "and it isn't deep enough to drown a mosquito. Come on," for all the others had passed over and were waiting.

"I never knew we were to cross a bridge like that.” "Come on," shouted Rufus, impatiently. "You are not heavier than all of the others, are you?"

She crossed over the shallow little brook with fear and trembling, and followed the others through the narrow path that led to the woods. A bramble bush caught her dress, and, in trying to extricate herself, a briar ran in her fingers, and she called loudly for assistance. Grace ran back to see what was the matter, and in an instant she was free. "O dear! I never thought the way would be like this Grace."

“Do try and enjoy yourself, now you have come,” said Grace. You make the the others uncomfortable."

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The day glided on. Under the shade of the green trees, Bella could not watch the clouds, and almost forgot the showers she had predicted: and dinner was going on, when a scream from her attracted the attention of the whole party. "O girls! look over your pies, do! Mine are covered with ants."

"Never mind; brush them off, and say nothing more about it," said one of the girls.

"I expect they are over everything, the horrid, nasty, black little creatures!"

seen;

But the three that were on that pie were all that could be and though their appearance created great consternation, they ate with good appetites in spite of that, and enjoyed their dinner, though Bella cried out several times, when an impudent daddy-long-legs crept on her dress; and once she thought a blade of green grass over her shoe was a green snake, and was very sure that a hornet's nest was over their heads, for she saw one bee flying about, and was equally certain that toads and grashoppers were under the table-cloth.

"Table moving," said Rufus. "I never knew before that toads and grasshoppers were spiritualists. I am sure they all have as much right to the woods as we have. I don't wonder they make themselves at home. If they could speak, I expect they would say,- We are at home, and wish you were.'”

To be continued.