h, his eyes very big--, "did he
really see a bear?"

"No," said Ben; "oh! where was I?"

"Why, you said Tommy heard a noise," said Polly, "and he thought it was
a bear."

"Oh, yes," said Ben; "I remember; 'twasn't a--"

"Oh, make it a bear, Ben!" cried Joel, terribly disappointed; "don't let
it be not a bear."

"Why, I can't," said Ben; "twouldn't sound true."

"Never mind, make it sound true," insisted Joel; "you can make anything
true."

"Very well," said Ben, laughing; "I suppose I must."

"Make it two bears, Ben," begged little Phronsie.

"Oh, no, Phronsie, that's too much," cried Joel; "that'll spoil it; but
make it a big bear, do Ben, and have him bite him somewhere, and most
kill him."

"Oh, Joel!" cried Polly, while David's eyes got bigger than ever.

So Ben drew upon his powers as story-teller, to suit his exacting
audience, and was making his bear work havoc upon poor Tommy in a way
captivating to all, even Joel, when, "Well, I declare," sounded Mrs.
Pepper's cheery voice coming in upon them, "if this isn't comfortable!"

"Oh, mammy!" cried Phronsie, jumping out of Polly's arms, whither she
had taken refuge during the thrilling tale, and running to her mother
who gathered her baby up, "we've had a bear! a real, live bear, we have!
Ben made him!"

"Have you!" said Mrs. Pepper, taking off her shawl, and laying her
parcel of work down on the table, "now, that's nice!"

"Oh, mammy!" cried Polly, "it does seem so good to be all together
again!"

"And I thank the Lord!" said Mrs. Pepper, looking down on her happy
little group; and the tears were in her eyes--"and children, we ought to
be very good and please Him, for He's been so good to us."

THE CLOUD OVER THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE

When Phronsie, with many crows of delight, and much chattering, had
gotten fairly started the following morning on her much-anticipated
drive with the doctor, the whole family excepting Polly drawn up around
the door to see them off, Mrs. Pepper resolved to snatch the time and
run down for an hour or two to one of her customers who had long been
waiting for a little "tailoring" to be done for her boys.

"Now, Joel," she said, putting on her bonnet before the cracked
looking-glass, "you stay along of Polly; Ben must go up to bed, the
doctor said; and Davie's going to the store for some molasses; so you
and Polly must keep house."

"Yes'm," said Joel; "may I have somethin' to eat, ma?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Pe