my leader, and more sports than I can think
of; nobody could beat them. They had
holidays too, and Twelfth, cakes, and parties
where they danced all night till midnight,
and real Theatres where they saw palaces of
real gold and silver rise out of the real earth,
and saw all the wonders of the world at once.
As to friends, they had such dear friends and
so many of them, that I want the time to
reckon them up. They were all young, like
the handsome boy, and were never to be
strange to one another all their lives
through.

Still, one day, in the midst of all these
pleasures, the traveller lost the boy as he had
lost the child, and, after calling to him in
vain, went on upon his journey. So he went
on for a little while without seeing anything,
until at last he came to a young man. So, he
said to the young man, "What do you do
here?" And the young man said, "I am
always in love. Come and love with me."

So, he went away with that young man, and
presently they came to one of the prettiest
girls that ever was seen— just like Fanny in
the corner there— and she had eyes like
Fanny, and hair like Fanny, and dimples like
Fanny's, and she laughed and coloured just as
Fanny does while I am talking about her.
So, the young man fell in love directly— just
as Somebody I won't mention, the first time
he came here, did with Fanny. Well! He
was teazed sometimes— just as Somebody
used to be by Fanny; and they quarrelled
sometimes— just as Somebody and Fanny
used to quarrel; and they made it up, and
sat in the dark, and wrote letters every day,
and never were happy asunder, and were
always looking out for one another and
pretending not to, and were engaged at Christmas
time, and sat close to one another by the
fire, and were going to be married very soon—
all exactly like Somebody I won't mention,
and Fanny!

But, the traveller lost them one day, as he
had lost the rest of his friends, and, after calling
to them to come back, which they never did,
went on upon his journey. So, he went on for
a little while without seeing anything, until
at last he came to a middle-aged gentleman.
So, he said to the gentleman, "What are you
doing here?" And his answer was, "I am
always busy. Come and be busy with me!"

So, he began to be very busy with that
gentleman, and they went on through the
wood together. The whole journey was
through a wood, only it had been open and
green at first, like a wood in spring; and now
began to be thick and dark, like a wood in
Summer; some of the little trees that had
come out earliest, were even turning brown.
The gentleman was not alone, but had a lady
of about the same age with him, who was his
Wife; and they had children, who were with
them too. So, they all went on together
through the wood, cutting down the trees, and
making a path through the branches and the
fallen leaves, and carrying burdens, and working
hard.

Sometimes, they came to a long green
avenue that opened into deeper woods. Then
they would hear a very little distant voice
crying, "Father, father, I am another child!
Stop for me!" And presently they would
see a very little figure, growing larger as it
came along, running to join them. When it
came up, they all crowded round it, and
kissed and welcomed it; and then they all
went on together.

Sometimes, they came to several avenues at
once, and then they all stood still, and one of
the children said, "Father, I am going to sea,"
and another said, "Father, I am going to
India," and another, "Father, I am going to
seek my fortune where I can," and another,
"Father, I am going to Heaven!" So, with
many tears at parting, they went, solitary,
down those avenues, each child upon its way;
and the child who went to Heaven, rose into
the golden air and vanished.

Whenever these partings happened, the
traveller looked at the gentleman, and saw
him glance up at the sky above the trees, where
the day was beginning to decline, and the sunset
to come on. He saw, too, that his hair was turning
grey. But, they never could rest long, for
they had their journey to perform, and it was
necessary for them to be always busy.

At last, there had been so many partings
that there were no children left, and only the
traveller, the gentleman, and the lady, went
upon their way in company. And now the
wood was yellow; and now brown; and the
leaves, even of the forest trees, began to fall.

So, they came to an avenue that was darker
than the rest, and were pressing forward on
their journey without looking down it when
the lady stopped.

"My husband," said the lady, "I am
called."

They listened, and they heard a voice, a
long way down the avenue, say, "Mother,
mother!"

It was the voice of the first child who had
said,  "I am going to Heaven!" and the
father said, "I pray not yet. The sunset is
very near. I pray not yet!"

But, the voice cried "Mother, mother!"
without minding him, though his hair was
now quite white, and tears were on his face.

Then, the mother, who was already drawn
into the shade of the dark avenue and moving
away with her arms still round his neck,
kissed him, and said "My dearest, I am
summoned and I go!" And she was gone. And
the traveller and he were left alone together.

And they went on and on together, until
they came to very near the end of the wood:
so near, that they could see the sunset shining
red before them, through the trees.

Yet, once more, while he broke his way
among the branches, the traveller lost his friend.
He called and called, but there was no reply,
and when he passed out of the wood, and