Mother Carey's Chickens

them were practical. However, it was Nancy's idea to build Peter a playhouse in the plot of ground at the back of the Charlestown house

here should be no favorite to receive an undue share of invitations to the Chadwick house. Nancy had made two vis

and turn about' has got to be the rule in this matter. I'm not going to wear the martyr's

t was speedily relinquished. Gilbert was wonderful with tools, so wonderful that Mother Carey feared he would be a carpenter instead of the commander of a great war ship; but there seemed to be no odd jobs to offer him. There came a day when even Peter realized that life was real and life was earnest. Wh

here it belongs, swee

it," smi

darning your s

ke to pick

uch fun, but it

at the landscape. "I dess I'll go play w

after you clear away

first," suggested Peter, star

and play afterwards!" said

a net of irresistib

ddenly let fly all his armory of weapons at once,-two dimples, t

e on her and she would do his lightest bidding, but controlling her secret desires she

!" cried Peter, "I'm onl

ime, sweet Pet

ed Peter with the voi

ause she had to go that

dragged it brutally to a corner. Having disposed of most of his strength and temper in this operation,

it won't be half so much work next time." Peter heard the words "next time" di

osed on this base were evidences of his eternal activities, and indeed of other people's! They were divided into three classes,-those contracted in the society of Joanna when she took him out-of-doors: such as sand, water, mud, grass stains, paint, lime, putty, or varnish; those derived from visits to his sisters at their occupations: such as ink, paints, lead pencils, paste, glue, and mucilage; those amassed in his stays with Ellen in the kitchen: sugar, molasses, spice, pudding sauce, black currants, rai

e at the family table in such a guise that if the children had not been warned they would have gone into hysterics, but he gradually grew to be proud of

on of infinite resource. The Gloom-Dispeller had been her father's name for her, but he had never thought of her as a Path-Finder, a

t could be found, but the "what next" had not been settled. Julia had confirmed Nancy's worst fears by accepting her aunt's offer of a home, but had requested time to make Gladys Ferguson a short visit at Palm Beach, all expenses being borne by the Parents of Gladys. This esti

is going to the Ferguso

th less

, more luxurious than before. She'll want a gold chicken breast now. We'

or the simple life," said Kathleen shrewdly. "Oh, what a relief

ou couldn't help it; you'd just take her 'to the Lord in prayer,' as

tate when Nancy came into her mother's room on

were reading, Muddy. I've had suc

llation was shortened to "Motherdy," and Peter being unable to struggle with that term, had abbreviated it into "Muddy." "Muddy" in itself is undistinguished and even unpleasant, but when accompanied by a close strangling

s after nine P.M., Nan

around you and sit down

nd looking up into her face,-"indeed, you're not to say anything of any importance till I'm all finis

ll, I'm

and years ago, before Peter it was, that father took us on

their happenings eight

fore Peter, Immediatel

r, which answer

emem

onvenient pump to give him drinks of water, and at noon we came to the

emem

near a beautiful tree, and father said, 'Don't spread the table too near the house, dears, or they'll cry when they

emem

der the windows, the yellow paint and the green blinds; and father looked in the windows, and the

emem

t the house and said, 'Bless its heart!' and said if he were rich he would buy the dear thing that afternoon and sleep in it that night; and asked you if you didn't wish you'd married the other man, and you

y! What do you think I am mad

t was so beautiful, and we have so

s are grateful ones that none of you can ever recal

ly and briefly, "is to go and

! What

e? It had a beautiful white-painted academy, don't you remember, so we could go to schoo

y spot never occurred to me. What was its quaint little

y; "and father thought it

s in front, and your father suggested Garden Fore-and-Aft and I chose Happy Half-Acre, but father thought the fields that s

hing to thank the house for our happy hour, and I thought of

ears! Father and you planted a tiny crimson ra

uddy? Because it would be ever so hi

I wonder how we could find out about it? It seems impossible that it should

wn the street, quite in the village, someb

than Peter's playhouse. Perhaps we could find him. He was very,

I know that. Oh, how I wish

more used to them. Now go to bed, dear. We'll think of Beulah, you and I; and perhaps, as we have been all adrift, waiting for a wind

nd loved it and named it; that makes ever so many more good omens, more than