ad together, at home, about growing up,
that day when Papa and Mamma dined out, and we had it all to ourselves.
And the iris has the whole of Don Quixote folded up in it, because Papa
was reading it to us, when I was at work upon it.'

'There certainly seems to be a use and pleasure in never sitting down
three minutes without that carpet-work, which I should never have
suspected,' said Elizabeth.

'Anne thinks as I do,' said Mrs. Woodbourne; 'I find carpet-work quite
a companion to me, but I cannot persuade Lizzie to take any pleasure in
it.'

'I have not time for it,' said Elizabeth, 'nor patience if I had time.
It is all I can persuade myself to do to keep my clothes from being
absolute rags.'

'Yes,' said Katherine; 'you always read with Meg in your lap, when you
have no mending to do; you have been six months braiding that frock.'

'Oh! that is company work,' said Elizabeth; 'I began it at Merton Hall
for Dora, but I believe Winifred must have it now. But now it is so
nearly done, that I shall finish while you are here.'

Elizabeth did not however long continue working, for as soon as tea was
over she proposed to play at the game of Conglomeration, as she had
talked of doing in the course of the walk. 'I give notice, however,'
said she, 'that we are likely to laugh more than will suit the gravity
of the elders, therefore I recommend adjourning to the inner
drawing-room.--Mamma, may we have candles there?'

Consent was given, and while the candles were being brought, and
Elizabeth was looking out some paper, Anne whispered to her brother,
'Rupert, pray say nothing about Fido, or the Mechanics' Institute, or
something unpleasant will surely come of it.'

'Oh! Anne,' was the answer, 'you have robbed me of my best couplet--

Weeping like forsaken Dido,
When she found the slaughtered Fido.

Where is the use of playing if there is to be no fun?'

''Where is the use of fun?' said the cockchafer to the boy who was
spinning it,' said Anne.

'Impertinence, impertinence, impertinence,' said Rupert, shaking his
head at her.

By this time all was ready, and Elizabeth called the brother and sister
to take their places at the table in the inner drawing-room. She then
wrote a substantive at the upper end of a long strip of paper, and
folding it down, handed it on to Lucy, who also wrote a noun, turned it
down, and gave the paper to Helen, who, after writing hers and hiding
it, passed it on to