Mother Carey's Chickens

in that Land of Pure Delight which is ignorance of death. The children no longer bounded to meet the postman, but waited till Joanna brought in the mail. Steadily, daily, the letters changed in

there with him,

ke to go to Newburyport to see my cousin and not be in the house when the children's told!" And Joanna said, "Sh

reat wave engulfs all the little ones in its path; a day when, Uncle Allan being too ill to travel, Cousin

hat she herself could arrive not long after the blow had fallen. Peter, by his mother's orders (she had thought of everything) was at a neighbor's house, the centre of all interest, the focus of all gayety. He was too young

crying kind I'd do the same thing. Now do you think you've got grit enough-all three of you-to bear up for your mother's sake, when she first comes in? I've mixed you each a good dose of aromatic spirits of ammonia, and it's sp

t the black figure had flung back the veil that hid her from the longing eyes of the children, and when she raised her face it was full of the old love. She was grief-stricken and she was pale, but she was mother, and the three young things tore open the door and clasped her in their arms, sobbing, choking, whispering all sorts of tender comfort, their childish tears falling like healing dew on her poor heart. The Admiral soothed and quieted them each in turn, all but Nancy. Cousin Ann's medicine was of no avail, and strangling with sobs Nancy fled to the attic until she was strong enough to say "for mother's sake" without a quiver in

ebody close and warm and soft; somebody with arms to hold and breath to speak and lips to kiss! I ought not to sadden yo

spiration she had lacked. She did not suddenly grow older than her years, but simply, in the twinkling of an eye, came to

dmiral had asked coaxingly once when N

Nancy thoughtfull

pinching an ear and pulling a curl. "I flattered myself

t that there were so many nice people in the world. "It's just this way. First there's mother, a

and delicate as pencil strokes. He said nothing, but his boyish dreams were in the kiss, and certain hopes of manhood that had never been realized. He was thinking that Margaret Gilbert was a fortunate and happy woman to have become Mother Carey; such a