Eight cousins : or, The aunt-hill

80 EIGHT COUSINS.it a peculiar charm to Rose, for in one place a lovelylady, with blue knitting-needles in her hair, sat directlyupon the spire of a stately j^agoda. In anothercharming view a brook apj^eared to flow in at thefront door of a stout gentleman's house, and out athis chimney. In a third a zigzag wall went up intothe sky like a flash of lightning, and a bird with twotails was appai-ently brooding over a fisherman whoseboat was just going aground upon the moon.It was altogether a fascinating thing, and she wouldhave sat wafting it to and fro all the afternoon, toFun's great satisfaction, if Dr. Alec's attention hadnot suddenly been called to her by a breeze from thebiof fan that blew his hair into his eves, and remindedhim that they must go. So the pretty china was repacked.Rose furled her fan, and with se^•eral j^arcelsof choice teas for the old ladies stowed away in Dr.Ale-c's pockets, they took their leave, after Fun hadsaluted them with the " three bendings and the nineknockings," as they salute the Emperor, or " Son ofHeaven," at home." I feel as if I had really been to China, and I 'msure I look so," said Rose, as they glided out of theshadow of the "Rajah."She certainly did, for Mr. Whang Lo had givenher a Chinese umbrella; Uncle Alec had got somelanterns to light up her balcony ;the great fan lay inher lap, and the tea-set reposed at her feet." This is not a bad way to study geography, is it ? "asked her uncle, who had observed her attention tothetalk." It is a very pleasant way, and I really think I