every distasteful task, and
kept her eye on careless Roxy till all was in order; then she gladly
went to perch on her father's knee, seeing in all the faces about her
the silent welcome they always wore for the "little one."

"Yes, I do want something, but I know you will say it is silly," she
began, as her father pinched her blooming cheek, with the wish that his
peaches would ever look half as well.

"Shouldn't wonder if it was a doll now;" and Mr. Grant stroked her head
with an indulgent smile, as if she was about six instead of fifteen.

"Why, father, you know I don't! I haven't played with dollies for years
and years. No; I want to fix up my room pretty, like Jill's. I'll do it
all myself, and only want a few things, for I don't expect it to look as
nice as hers."

Indignation gave Merry courage to state her wishes boldly, though she
knew the boys would laugh. They did, and her mother said in a tone of
surprise,--

"Why, child, what more can you want? I'm sure your room is always as
neat as a new pin, thanks to your bringing up, and I told you to have a
fire there whenever you wanted to."

"Let me have some old things out of the garret, and I'll show you what
I want. It _is_ neat, but so bare and ugly I hate to be there. I do so
love something pretty to look at!" and Merry gave a little shiver of
disgust as she turned her eyes away from the large greasy boot Dick was
holding up to be sure it was well lubricated all round.

"So do I, and that's a fact. I couldn't get on without my pretty girl
here, any way. Why, she touches up the old place better than a dozen
flower-pots in full blow," said the farmer, as his eye went from the
scarlet geranium to the bright young face so near his own.

"I wish I had a dozen in the sitting-room window. Mother says they are
not tidy, but I'd keep them neat, and I know you'd like it," broke in
Merry, glad of the chance to get one of the long-desired wishes of her
heart fulfilled.

"I'll fetch you some next time I go over to Ballad's. Tell me what you
want, and we'll have a posy bed somewhere round, see if we don't," said
her father, dimly understanding what she wanted.

"Now, if mother says I may fix my room, I shall be satisfied, and I'll
do my chores without a bit of fuss, to show how grateful I am," said
the girl, thanking her father with a kiss, and smiling at her mother so
wistfully that the good woman could not refuse.

"You may have anything you like out of the bl