s. And,
oh, what a racket the waggons made! and she was amazed at the crowds of
people, as she thought there were then.

But inside everything was homelike and delightful. She was so glad to
see her mother and father and the boys. Ben looked like a young man. Jim
was to go to a preparatory school for a year, and then enter Columbia
College. Mrs. Craven had sold her house, and gone up to Seventh Street,
and was to have quite a young ladies' school. Josie Dean had decided to
study for a teacher. That made her seem quite grown up.

Old Mr. Beekman had died while the little girl was away; and Katschina
had grieved herself to death, and followed her master. Annette had a
lover, but of course she could not marry in some time. The old farm was
to be sold--at least, streets were to be cut through it, and the
outlying lots sold off. Mrs. Beekman was to keep the down-town house for
her part.

And now it was considered that Stephen Underhill had done a grand thing
for himself in marrying Dolly Beekman. Mr. Beekman owned no end of real
estate, was indeed much richer than people imagined. The girls would
each have a big slice. But Dolly was just as sweet and plain, and as
much interested in everybody as before. She was so ready to help and
advise Margaret, and go out shopping with her. For was she not very
wise and experienced, having been married two whole years!

Dr. Hoffman had bought his house up-town as well. Some people scouted
the idea that the city could be crowded even in fifty years. But the
long-headed ones reasoned that it must go up, as it could not expand in
breadth, and "down-town" must be given over to business.

Hanny went up to see the new house one Saturday. The front basement was
to be the office, and was being fitted up with some shelves and
cabinets. The back basement was the kitchen. There were two large
parlors and a third room, that was the dining-room. And one thing
interested the little girl greatly,--this was the "dumb waiter."

"Of course it can't talk," said she, laughingly. "And it can't hear; but
you can make it obey."

"It can creak and groan when it gets dry for a little oil. And it will
be like a camel if you put too heavy a load on it," returned the Doctor.

"Does the camel groan?"

"Horribly! And he won't stir an inch toward getting up until you lighten
his load."

There was a pretty pantry across the corner, with a basin to wash china
and silver, so it would not need to go downstairs