house for papa, and I mean to be the
very best kind of a house-keeper. I am going to make a study of it. The
house shall always be as neat as it can possibly be, and the meals shall
be perfect. Then another thing," pursued Edith, from the closet where
she was lifting down boxes and pulling out drawers. "I am going to be
lovely with the children. They are to be taught to obey me implicitly,
the very minute I speak. I am going to train them that way. I shall say
one word, very gently, and that will be enough. I have been reading a
book on that very subject. The eldest sister made up her mind to do
that, and it worked splendidly."

"I hope it will this time, but things are so much easier in a book than
out of it. Perhaps the children were not just like our Janet and Willy."

"They were a great deal worse. Our children are perfect angels compared
to them."

"Here they come now, speaking of angels," announced Cynthia, as the
tramp of small but determined feet was heard on the stairs and the door
burst open.

"Dear me, you don't mean to say you are back!" exclaimed Edith. "I
thought you were going to play out-of-doors all the morning."

"We're tired of it, and we're terrible hungry."

"An' we want sumpun to do."

"If this isn't the most provoking thing!" cried Edith, wrathfully,
emerging from the closet. "I thought you were well out of the way, and
here I am in the midst of house-cleaning! You are the most provoking
children--don't touch that!"

For Janet had seized upon a box and was investigating its contents.

"Go straight out of this room, and don't come near me till it is done."

"We won't go!" they roared in chorus; "we're going to stay and have some
fun."

Edith walked up to them with determination written on her face, and
grasped each child tightly by the hand. The roars increased, and Cynthia
concluded that it was about time to interfere.

"Come down-stairs with me," she said, "and I'll give you some nice
crackers. And very soon one of the men is going over to Pelham to take
the farm-horses to be shod. Who would like to go?"

This idea was seized upon with avidity. The three departed in search of
the crackers, and quiet reigned once more. When Cynthia came back Edith
said nothing for a few minutes. Then she remarked:

"Those children in the book were not _quite_ as provoking as ours, but I
suppose I ought to have begun right away to be gentle. Somehow, Cynthia,
you always seem to know just what to sa