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dinner was most excellent, and as they had all become cold and hungry from their long ride, they spent an hour at the table in a very agreeable manner, and then went up to Mrs. Morelle's room, where they found a bright blazing fire burning on the hearth, to welcome and cheer

them.

It was on Tuesday that the party made this journey to Granville, and the steamer for Jersey would not sail until Thursday. There were steamers only twice a week, Thursdays and Sun

days.

Of course if they were to embark on

Thursday they had one day for rambling about Granville, which they had heard, though thus far they had not seen the town, occupied a very picturesque and romantic situation. But Grimkie and Florence wished for more time than this.

He

and Florence had formed a plan between

them of going to visit Mont St. Michel, and then going to St. Malo.

By referring to the map, the reader will observe that the town of St. Malo is situated on the French coast to the southward and westward of Granville, and that it is also, as well as Gran

ville,

a port of embarkation for Jersey. About

half-way between these two ports is situated the

very

Mont St. Michel.

singular and celebrated eminence called

The plan which Grimkie and Florence had formed, was to extend their journey along the coast to St. Malo, visiting Mont St. Michel by the way, and then embark for Jersey at the latter port, instead of at Granville. There was á double advantage in this they thought. It would give them a longer journey, and also enable them to visit Mont St. Michel, which they had often seen represented in pictures.

Mont St. Michel is a rocky hill, small in circumference but steep and high, and is completely covered by a castle which crowns the summit of it, and a town built upon the sides. It stands some miles out from the land in the midst of a vast shallow bay, which is filled with water when the tide is up, but shows nothing when the tide is down but an immense plain of sand, with the walls and battlements of Mont St. Michel rising like an isolated mountain in the centre of it.

When the tide is down, you can ride out to Mont St. Michel in a carriage. When it is up, the water in every direction all around it, is ten or twenty feet deep, and it is then accessible to large vessels.

The tide in all this region rises and falls more than forty feet, and as the coast itself in every part is very shelving,—the rocks and sands slop

ing off very gradually as they recede from the shore-there is an immense tract bordering the land every where, which is alternately covered and uncovered by the tide. This peculiar conformation of the coast, taken in connection with the great rise and fall of the tides on the western shores of France, and in the adjacent islands, produces some of the most extraordinary effects of coast scenery, that are to be witnessed in any part of the world.

"We will go to Mont St. Michel in a carriage, Auntie," said Grimkie, when he was proposing his plan. "Then at night when we go to bed, if the tide is down, we can look out from our windows in the inn, and there will be nothing around us, as far as we can see, but great plains of sand. Then the next morning when we get up, we shall find ourselves on an island far out to sea, with the waves rolling, and vessels sailing all around us."

“That would be very curious," said Mrs. Morelle.

"Indeed the

"And besides there is a great castle, on the the mountain," said Florence. whole rock is made into one great castle, with a town inside. It is a famous place in history. It is famous in the history of William the Con

queror."

"I should like to see the place very much indeed;" said Mrs. Morelle.

It is the custom with judges when hearing and deciding cases in court, to give the idvocates an opportunity to say all that they have to say, and to wait until they have entirely finished, before they begin to give their decision. Mothers, in listening to and disposing of the plans and proposals of their children, would often save themselves a great deal of trouble, if they would act on the same principle, instead of making a debate of it, as they often do, between themselves and the children, meeting the children's arguments in favor of the plan, with objections and counter arguments in an endless and unsatisfactory discussion, as if a parent's business was to argue and debate the point, instead of to decide it.

Mrs. Morelle was very apt in cases like this, to give the children a full and willing hearing, and then to reserve her decision a little while.

She accordingly listened to all that Grimkie and Florence said in favor of going round by St. Malo, and fully admitted the advantages of the plan.

"And now," said she, after they had said all that they wished to say, "what are the objections to the plan ?"

"There are no objections at all, mother," said Florence, "except that it makes our journey longer, and that we like. We can see Granville as much as we wish, to-day and to-morrow. Then we will go on to Mont St. Michel, and stay there a day or two, if we find a nice little inn. From Mont St. Michel it will be just about as near to St. Malo, as it will be to come back to Granville, and it will be better to go that way than to come back, for then we shall see St. Malo too."

"There is one objection," said Grimkie. "The voyage is longer from St. Malo to Jersey, than from Granville to Jersey."

"Not much," said Florence.

"How much ?" asked Mrs. Morelle.

"Only about half an hour longer," said Flor

ence.

"Very well," said Mrs. Morelle. "I will consider the subject, and let you know some time to-day what I decide."

The situation of the town of Granville is extremely picturesque. The harbor, which is an artificial one, formed by two piers, is situated at a point where a valley opens toward the sea, and by the side of this valley, on the north, is a high rocky promontory. The old town was situated on the top of this promontory, where it was sur

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