ng not to look
conscious.

"And it's lovely!" said Cricket, approvingly. "Read it to the girls,
please, Hilda." And Hilda, waiting for a little urging, though she was
really dying to read it, produced her "poem," and read:

"It was Christmas eve, now remember,
And out in the cold world alone,
A cold night, too, in December,
There wandered a poor little one.

"Waiting in sorrow and weeping,
Waiting out there in the cold,
Why should she have cause to sorrow?
Why, her mother lay there in the mould.

"And where was the child's own father?
Was he in the cold ground, too?
No, her father was in the billiard-room.
I pity the poor child, don't you?"

"That's too sweet for anything, Hilda! All you girls are clever but me,"
sighed Edna, half enviously.

"I've just decided that I'll be a poetess like Mrs. Browning, when I
grow up," said Hilda, calmly. "I never tried writing poetry before, but
it's just as _easy_. It would be very interesting to be a poetess,"
added Hilda, who was given to day-dreams, in which she was always
famous.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A SAILING PARTY.

It was not long after dawn, early as that was, when the younger fry were
all astir in the Maxwell household. The boys were up to see that
everything was in order about the boat, and to transport the necessary
number of cushions and rugs for the comfort of their passengers. Cricket
dragged reluctant Hilda, who dearly loved her morning snooze, out of bed
almost as early, though Eunice and Edna lazily turned over for another
scrap of a nap. Still, they were not long able to withstand the general
buzz of excitement, and long before seven they also were up and about,
gathering together their various belongings. Cook had the generous
luncheon-baskets all packed, with provision sufficient for a small
regiment. Before breakfast everything was on board, the luncheon was
packed away in the little locker, and cushions and extra wrappings were
all in place.

Breakfast was a hasty ceremony, for the boys were eagerly watching the
time, and tide, and breeze, and so would hardly give the rest time to
eat. It was not quite eight when they mustered their party on the dock.
At the last moment Cricket appeared with a small bundle, carefully
wrapped in newspaper, the contents of which she absolutely refused to
reveal.

"You'll know by and by," was all she would say, "and you needn't try to
solve into the my