“’My dear teacher,

“’You told us we might write you about some interesting people we knew.  I think the most interesting people I know are my rock people and I mean to tell you about them.  I have never told anybody about them except grandma and father but I would like to have you know about them because you understand things.  There are a great many people who do not understand things so there is no use in telling them.’

“’My rock people live at the shore.  I used to visit them almost every evening before the winter came.  Now I can’t go till spring, but they will be there, for people like that never change . . . that is the splendid thing about them.  Nora was the first one of them I got acquainted with and so I think I love her the best.  She lives in Andrews’ Cove and she has black hair and black eyes, and she knows all about the mermaids and the water kelpies.  You ought to hear the stories she can tell.  Then there are the Twin Sailors.  They don’t live anywhere, they sail all the time, but they often come ashore to talk to me.  They are a pair of jolly tars and they have seen everything in the world. . . and more than what is in the world.  Do you know what happened to the youngest Twin Sailor once?  He was sailing and he sailed right into a moonglade.  A moonglade is the track the full moon makes on the water when it is rising from the sea, you know, teacher.  Well, the youngest Twin Sailor sailed along the moonglade till he came right up to the moon, and there was a little golden door in the moon and he opened it and sailed right through.  He had some wonderful adventures in the moon but it would make this letter too long to tell them.’

“’Then there is the Golden Lady of the cave.  One day I found a big cave down on the shore and I went away in and after a while I found the Golden Lady.  She has golden hair right down to her feet and her dress is all glittering and glistening like gold that is alive.  And she has a golden harp and plays on it all day long . . . you can hear the music any time along shore if you listen carefully but most people would think it was only the wind among the rocks.  I’ve never told Nora about the Golden Lady.  I was afraid it might hurt her feelings.  It even hurt her feelings if I talked too long with the Twin Sailors.’

“’I always met the Twin Sailors at the Striped Rocks.  The youngest Twin Sailor is very good-tempered but the oldest Twin Sailor can look dreadfully fierce at times.  I have my suspicions about that oldest Twin.  I believe he’d be a pirate if he dared.  There’s really something very mysterious about him.  He swore once and I told him if he ever did it again he needn’t come ashore to talk to me because I’d promised grandmother I’d never associate with anybody that swore.  He was pretty well scared, I can tell you, and he said if I would forgive him he would take me to the sunset.  So the next evening when I was sitting on the Striped Rocks the oldest Twin