ther; "she must not
be disappointed."

"Now wipe away your tears, my little girls," she added. "We must try to
make this day as pleasant as possible to poor Miss Crosbie."

And all went most pleasantly from the time that they met at breakfast
till they parted after supper; and Miss Crosbie said:

"Well, Mrs. Fairchild, I have certainly had a most delightful day, and
I wish that I could spend all my Sundays with you as I have done this;
for, in general, I must confess I do find the Sunday the dullest day of
all the seven."

"Then, ma'am," said Lucy, "I hope you will come often again;" and Mrs.
Fairchild joined in the invitation.

A Visit to Mrs. Goodriche

[Illustration: In the summer parlour]

Nothing happened for some weeks after Miss Crosbie went away which
could be put down in this history, because almost every day was like
another, unless we were to say what lessons the children did, and what
the doll was dressed in, and what walks were taken. The spring came on,
and a very fine spring it was; and Henry found a place among the trees
where he thought a very beautiful arbour might be made, and he got
leave to make it, and John helped, and Lucy and Emily were very busy
about it, and a most pleasant place it was. The hut in the wood was too
far off for the children to run to when they had but little time; but
Henry's arbour could be reached in three minutes by the shortest way.
Mr. Fairchild was so good as to pay John Trueman to make a thatched
roof and sides to it, and the man-servant John found some old boards
for seats; but he could not find time to finish the seats as soon as
Henry wished.

During this time Mrs. Goodriche came over to visit Mrs. Fairchild, and
she then invited all the family to come and spend a whole day with her
in the summer, and she promised that on that day, if all was well, she
would tell them another story about old Mrs. Howard.

But the happiest times of people's lives are often those in which there
is least to write and talk about; so we must pass over the spring, and
go on to the month of June, the very first day of which was that fixed
for the visit to Mrs. Goodriche.

It was a bright morning when the party set out in the carriage which
Mr. Fairchild had bought. The dew was not off the ground, for they were
to breakfast at Mrs. Goodriche's; but, as Henry said, the day would be
too short anyhow, for these happy children thought many days too short.

What a curious old