Five Little Peppers and their Friends

ay, and leaned on the broom-handle. "If here don't come Mis' Henderson! Now I

tly up the flag-bordered path between the lil

-border, so Mrs. Henderson had to say it over, t

e to-day?"

onesome since that blessed little creeter, an' all the rest of them childe

mployed the time in slipping in under Grandma's short go

nimbly found a chair, while G

nderson," she called; "I'm g

son's pleasant voice. But she might as well ha

down at her short gown. So she concluded to put on her Sunday-go-to-meeting gown, as she called her best dress. This took her so long, because

sorry,"

econd hook, which she had been trying for some time to get into the f

s, up under the frill of the best cap, which stood out very stiffly,

ey

have so many things to

eech, for Grandma only a

he mismated hooks and eyes. Seeing this, in despair the parson's wife took the matter of hooking

hooked up by any one since Mis' Pepper went away. Deary me, how I should set by a s

nodded, being s

loudly, "and if you come out to the ki

tchen?" demanded Grandma, in alarm. "Oh, t

read them to you," shouted Mrs. Henderson. "Dear me!"-to herself-"what shall I

own by its side breadths, she waddled out and seated herself with great dignity in a big chair by the kitch

rom its place next to the head of her bed out into the kitchen. She kept her big Bible on it, and her knitting work,

she said. "My land o' Goshen, don't I wish he was!" f

hands in a company way. The parson's wife drew up a kitc

t?" asked Gra

Polly," said

ried Grandma. "Well,

boy appeared in the doorway

ernation, at his unlooked-for appearance, and, "Oh, G

, supposing that was in the letter. "Now I know that blessed little

in a loud, hasty tone, hurrying out of her chair. "

liberately, "only Aunt Jerusha tumbled d

m the Pepper children"-thrusting them into his hand-"do you stay and read them to Grandma. And be sure

tood quite still in the middle of the kitchen floor. He never thought of disobeying, a

ver see her again. Oh, the pretty creeter! Hain't she hurted bad?" she

heerfully; "she fell way down all

y she fell?" sc

e, too, and sprawled out his hands to sho

great sorrow, "that blessed little creet

she's awful long and bony!" And he could think of no special re

control her speech enough to say anything; "maybe they'll tell more

happened." But Grandma didn't hear, so he picked up Pol

rs. Hend

ey

,'" cried Peletiah, i

m a little hard o' hea

shoved his chair ne

thing happen, and I want to write to you now, because next we

andma screamed, and even twitched his jacket sleeve, she couldn't get him to stop. The consequence was that he had to shout this over till at last sh

t office, which Grandpapa says we may have in the Wistaria arbor. And we girls are all making fancy work, and oh, Phronsie is making a pin-cushion which Mr. Hamilton Dyce has bought already.

ad droned it out without a break, to look up and find Grandma sunke

, "an' there's that blessed child got hu

in't," said Peletiah, st

g to have a g

screamed

rden

ding, an' you said cellar sta

g; then he got out of his

" he screamed, so loud

ldren ain't hurt?" she

e a party." He wisely lef

t, and the smiles began to run all over her wrinkled face again. "I wonder now," she said, "if they don't w

ond letter was called for. He never for an instant thought of s

f the charms of Cousin Mirandy's rec

that one?"

ead this one, for Joel never wasted any time in preliminar

Misses," and wrote on top "Mrs." "'You tell Grandma Bascom, please, that it's just prime her

l was there this minute, in which Peletiah hardly concurred, being unable to satisfy Joel's athletic demand

rished the conviction that the "Five Little Peppers" were to make life merry again in their "little brown house," and she went on so long in this way that Peleti

ed little creeter," she exclaimed, very

is," said

ma. "You should 'a' read it first of all." She le

o," said Peletiah, in

said Grandma, quave

," said Peletiah, unfolding

ey

by which Phronsie felt perfectly sure that her friends would understand what she was telling them. And once in a while came the great achievement of a big cap

ad looked it all over. "The little precious creeter,

well upside down,"

" Grandma b

hild a-writin' that!

tiah, getting out of his chair

Grandma leaned over and pulled out the under drawer of the little stand. It wasn't like giving peppermints to J

eginning to shake therefrom into her hand th

" said Peletiah stiffly,

ecidedly. "You've been real good to

stir. "Well, I must be going," and he went slowly out of the

quiet at the parsonage, the minis

tter over from Mrs. F

down on the end of

let me tuck a pillow under you

tired as I am," and the color flew into h

n"-as he went across the room

need us," he sa

and bruised, and she's quite comfortable now. Well, my dear,

wife, with wide e

thing to propose"-and the parson sm

on, "it is, and I never

's the girl Mrs. Fisher's letter indicates. And as for Ezekiel, there's no harm to be thoug

ght it out fearfully, and then shut her mout

t. It is always on my mind. Oh, I do wish-" and the

th which he had tucked her up, and bounded

d. "Oh, why did I speak!

e pressed the hand on his arm, looking at it fondly. "Poor Almira!" he said, "I d

t him with a world of love. "After your mother died, what pl

it's done, and she is here; but oh, Almira, I th

do to let him see her thoughts further on the

the little gi

e asks if we can find a place in Badgertown for this child, who seems uncommonly clever, and is, so s

," said his

deal about her. She's been ha

her tender eyes on her

she exclaimed s

her because she wouldn't steal, became frightened at the investigat

s. Henderson, raisi

rs. Fisher writes they call her Rachel now. You didn't

didn't have time to re

urried over to Grandma

said you'd talk it over

after me, and I ran bac

morsefully. "Well, then, I'll tell you the rest. You read

to think what an awful risk that blessed c

now, Mr. King has taken upon himself to support and to educate Rag-Rachel, I mean-and the best place,

sitated, then said,

ppy by Jerusha, you me

es

ou must remember she has had her old 'Gran' as she ca

should really love to put the brightness into her life. And please let her come soon." A