r the house, from a second or third cousin who fancied he wanted a
part of the old family estate. The ground, of course, was too valuable
for farming purposes. Annette's husband, who was in a shipping firm then
on Water Street, preferred living down-town. So Mrs. Beekman would keep
the old city house, and they would live together.

Dolly proposed to take the little girl, for there would be a large
out-of-doors.

"There are too many grown people," declared Doctor Joe. "She's too old
herself, and too anxious for knowledge of all kinds. She wants to run
and play with children. We must keep her a little girl as long as
possible, and not bother her brains with the wisdom of the ages. Send
her up to West Farms. As Father says, we can see her every few days."

That settled the matter. Father Underhill did not care to give her up
anyhow, and he was best pleased with this plan. Mrs. Underhill imagined
she had so many things to do, as mothers of households did in those
days, and somehow she did not like to hurry Hanny about as she had
Margaret. There really was not so much sewing. Joe insisted upon
ordering his shirts made; and Margaret had sent Ben half-a-dozen for
Christmas. Then Barbara was very efficient, and, with true German
thrift, improved every moment. She insisted on darning the stockings and
knitting the woollen ones for winter. She was also a very neat hand at
sewing.

Mrs. Underhill had learned another lesson in her city life. There were a
good many poor people who really needed work, and she found it a much
wiser plan to give them employment and pay them for it, and advise them
to lay in coal and various other matters for winter. She was not a
stingy woman; but she did not believe in confirming people in indolent
habits.

Martha came often to see them; and at times she felt almost jealous of
Barbara. But she had a very pleasant home, and her stepchildren proved
tractable. She did a good deal of church work, and through her Mrs.
Underhill heard of really worthy poor people.

Hanny wasn't a bit enthusiastic about going to West Farms.

"Janey and Polly seem so childish," she said to her brother Joe.

"And you are getting to be a little old woman. We don't want you to turn
old and grey before your time, and have to wear spectacles and all
that."

"But I can see the least little thing," protested the child, earnestly.
"And if I do go, can't I take my 'Queens of England' with me? I had so
many lessons that I co