k.
"I have this Barlow knife and the 'Arabian Nights,' and I'm to be a
doctor, like my father. Do you have frozen pudding often, here?"

Well, you can see how startling it would be to three children to be at
the same birthday together! We couldn't be tired talking of it.

"We will all be firm friends for the rest of our life," said Miss
Lisbet, very excited, "and never have secrets from each other. And
when I get Aunt Winthrop's money, I will divide it into three parts,
one for each. And we will do a great deal of good in the world."

"Come, come," says Mrs. Williams, sour-like, "not so fast, missy.
You've not the money yet, nor shouldn't speak of it, and as for being
friends, it's all right so far as Dick Stanchon is concerned, but I
doubt if Madam will feel the same as to Rhoda Pennyfield! So make no
more plans till we know."

But of course we did make plans, for all her stiffness. We sat in the
red cedar grove, playing at tea-parties with a beautiful china tea-set,
and Master Dick was to marry her, and I was to live with them and be
nurse to the children, with one named for me!

Dear, dear! I've forgot much that's come in between and many that's
been kind to me (more shame to me!) but I can see the sun on her curls
now and him sharpening his new knife on the granite rocks that were so
thick in the grove.

"Rhoda and Dick," says she, very solemn, after a little, "I'm going to
tell you a great secret. Come close to me."

You can believe we listened with all our ears; we worshipped the ground
she trod on, both of us, do you see, even then.

"I mean to do a great deal of good in the world before I die," says
she, "as I mentioned before, at dinner. I don't mean just ordinary
_being_ good, you know, but _doing_ it. At school I always meant to go
as a missionary, and I was saving all my money for a fund for it, but I
couldn't seem to keep it, somehow. Two or three of the girls were poor
girls, and if they hadn't their birthdays remembered, it would have
been dreadful. And the cook's little boy was lame in his spine and he
was so fond of flowers! And I hadn't so much money, anyway. Then, all
my time was full, because we had to do things every hour, just so. But
now I'm to have a governess and I shall have a great deal of time, so I
can study hard for a missionary and perhaps go to South America--if
there are any heathens there, as I suppose there are."

"Yes, miss," says I.

"So now my new life is