Part 4 (1/2)

”'Tis really charularly simple,” repeated the Butcher, who always stood at the door of his shop, watching for the customers that so seldohts turning to his trade; ”a sientille, la petite Belinde,” remarked Mademoiselle Cerise, the French doll just arrived from Paris ”Elle est une jeune fille fort bien elevee; elle ferme les yeux d'une facon vraiain, Si a sorin upon his face

She made no reply, but instantly closed her eyes She was not quite sure but that he was laughing at her, so she thought it more prudent not to see him

”There! did you notice?””Wasn't it pretty and simple?” said all the Toys to one another as they looked at Belinda

I must, however, make an exception when I say ”all” the Toys There was one who did not utter a word This was Jack, the curly-headed Sailor-Boy, as deeply in love with Belinda He was so unhappy about thethe thought of his sorrow should make him shed unmanly tears in public

I will tell you the cause of his grief He could not make her see how much he loved her Whenever he came near her she immediately closed her eyes So that it did not matter what expression he assumed, it was all wasted on Belinda He worried himself about it very much

”Is it,” said he to himself, ”because she doesn't happen to see, or because she doesn't wish to see? How can I ently, with mirth or with melancholy, in poetry or in prose?”

”I will be poetical,” he resolved; ”I will sing her a song of love That may induce her to open her eyes”

Now Jack was only a simple Sailor-Lad; he knew little s and one or two little ballads, these were all he had to trust to, and he could think of none that see, and finally re which, with a little alteration, would, he decided, do very well So, in a rough but tender voice, he thus sang to his lady-love:--

”Of all the girls I love so well, There's none I love like 'Linder; She is the darling of my heart,-- And Linder rhymes with cinder”

”This,” he said to himself, ”will teach her how deep and how true my love is for her _This_ should open her eyes”

But Belinda, quite unain,” he said to hih this tied to stop in the middle in order to steady it

After this he sat silent, hoping that Belinda would even now open her eyes

”Then,” said he, ”she will see how sad I look, and she will surely be touched”

But disappointain his lot She never opened even half an eye

”shi+ver my timbers!” said the luckless Sailor-Lad, ”she'll be the death of”_The Death of Nelson_”

Then he tried to startle her by suddenly shouting within her hearing a few seafaring expressions he knew ”Hard-a-port! Lay aft! Yo, heave ho!”

She half-opened her eyes, but iain ”Those expressions sound a little rough,” she remarked

He felt sorely tried

”None so blind as those on't_ see, ht,” she answered with unaffected surprise, ”it was those who _can't_ see”

”Have you looked up through the sky-light this afternoon?” he asked

”The sunset is glorious”

”Describe it to me I love descriptions,” she said with simple enthusiasm