very important for me to get some specimens from Ben Nevis, to carry home for s‹ uvenirs.”

"Then you must bring them down in your hand," said John. "We can't possibly take such a big book as that; can we Grimkie ?”

"I will see about that presently,” said Grimkie. "Come with me, John. I want you to go somewhere."

So John laid down the big book and followed Grimkie down stairs. Grimkie led the way into the street.

"Where are you going, Grimkie ?" asked John. "I am going to see if I can find a bookseller," said Grimkie. "But you should not contradict a young lady in that short way. That's boyish." "How boyish ?" said John.

"Why boys fly in their sisters' faces in that way sometimes, but no gentleman ever does."

"But Grimkie," said John, "it is perfectly ridiculous to think of carrying such a big book as that up a high mountain."

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That's the very reason why you ought to be more gentle in setting her right,” replied Grimkie. "Do you think a lady likes to have it made to appear to her face that any thing she says or does is ridiculous ?"

"Then what shall I do ?" asked John.

"You must be more gentle," said Grimkie

"A lady is like a steamboat; you can't turn her short about, by a sudden twitch, when she is going wrong. You must bring her round by a sweep-in a grand circle-gently and gracefully. I'll show you how."

By this time the boys arrived at the door of a small bookstore, and Grimkie immediately went in. John followed him. Grimkie asked a young woman who stood behind the counter if she had any blotting paper. She immediately produced half a quire, and Grimkie bought six sheets of it. These sheets he cut in two with a paper knife, and then after folding them, cut them again. He then folded them again, thus bringing them into a snug compass for carrying, that is, as the bookbinders would say, into an octavo form. The paper as it was when he bought it, was in a folio form. After he had cut and folded it the first time, it was in a quarto form, and now after a second folding, by which means each sheet formed eight leaves, it was put into the octavo form. Another folding still, which would have made sixteen leaves to the sheet, would have produced what is called the sixteenmo form.

Grimkie and John immediately returned to the hotel, carrying the paper with them. As soon as they arrived, Grimkie went to his room and took a small portfolio off his table. This portfolio was

simply the cover of a blank book Grimkie had used at the Chateau for some of his exercises. When it was full and he had no further occasion to use it, he had cut out the inside neatly, in order to save the cover, which was quite a pretty one, being made of green morocco. He thought it would make a nice portfolio. He had accordingly stocked it with small note papers and envelopes, and had made it serve the purpose of a stationery case, for his travels.

He now took out the note paper and his envelopes from it, and then compared the blottingpaper in its octavo form with the size of the cover. He found that by folding it once more, that is into the sixteenmo form, it would fit the cover very well. So he cut it open at the octavo folding, and then after folding it again he slipped it into the cover and went to find Florence.

"Florence," said he, "how do you think this will do to put your little flowers in up the mountain? It is made of blotting paper, and that is much better than the paper of books to press plants in, for it absorbs the moisture, and so dries the plants quicker, and that makes them preserve their colors better."

"That will be excellent," said Florence, taking the book and looking at it with great interest. "But how did you know about that ?”

"Our professor of botany at the Chateau," said Grimkie, "told us that it is better to have a book made of blotting paper. Only this book is not sewed. Could you sew it ?"

"I can sew it in a moment," said Florence. "Then it will do nicely,” said Grimkie. “If you can sew the leaves together so as to make a book of them, then we can slip them into the book cover, and that will be all we shall want. I can carry it in my pocket. You see you don't want large specimens. The smaller and more delicate they are the better. Our professor told us that."

"Your professor ?" repeated Florence.

"Yes," replied Grimkie; "he lectured us about it. 'Young gentlemen,' said he,' the mode of procedure is very different both in the selection of flowers and in the method of preserving them, according to the object you have in view, whether to procure botanical specimens for purposes of science, or souvenirs and tokens for purposes of sentiment and love.""

Grimkie repeated these words in a tone and manner imitative of a lecturer making a discourse before an audience, producing thus a very comical effect, so that both John and Florence laughed outright.

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Oh, Grimkie !" exclaimed Florence.

"I don't believe he said any such things," added John,

"He verily did," replied Grimkie. 'Young gentlemen,' said he, 'when you have advanced a little farther along the verdant and flowery path of life, you will sometimes have occasion, in your various wanderings, to prepare plants and flowers as tokens of remembrance, or of other sentiments, or as souvenirs of travel. In such cases, gentlemen, select small and delicate specimens of graceful forms and pretty colors. Press them till they are dry between leaves of blotting paper. If necessary, separate the leaves and stems so as to press and preserve them separately. You can recompose your flower afterward. Examine the specimens from time to time while they are drying, and see that the stems lie in natural and graceful curves, and that the leaves and petals are smooth, and fully extended. Then when they are thoroughly dry, arrange the parts anew, and gum them delicately upon a small piece of white paper, with a suitable inscription beneath, and enclose the paper in a tinted envelope of the right size to contain it, and then when you present it to the Mary, or the Lucy, or the Ellen, for whom it is intended, she will perceive that you are a