which all the other Ruggleses pointed the
finger of shame at her and Peter GRUNTED expressively, that their
meaning might not be mistaken.

"You just stop your gruntin', Peter Ruggles; that was all right. I
wish I could git it inter your heads that it ain't so much what yer
say, as the way yer say it. Eily, you an' Larry's too little to train,
so you just look at the rest, an' do 's they do, an' the Lord have
mercy on ye an' help ye to act decent! Now, is there anything more
ye'd like to practice?"

"If yer tell me one more thing I can't set up an' eat," said Peter,
gloomily; "I'm so cram full o' manners now I'm ready ter bust 'thout no
dinner at all."

"Me too," chimed in Cornelius.

"Well, I'm sorry for yer both," rejoined Mrs. Ruggles, sarcastically;
"if the 'mount o' manners yer've got on hand now, troubles ye, you're
dreadful easy hurt! Now, Sarah Maud, after dinner, about once in so
often, you must say, 'I guess we'd better be goin';' an' if they say,
'Oh, no, set a while longer,' yer can stay; but if they don't say
nothin' you've got ter get up an' go. Can you remember?"

"ABOUT ONCE IN SO OFTEN!" Could any words in the language be fraught
with more terrible and wearing uncertainty?

"Well," answered Sarah Maud, mournfully, "seems as if this whole dinner
party set right square on top o' me! Maybe I could manage my own
manners, but ter manage nine mannerses is worse 'n staying to home!"

"Oh, don't fret," said her mother, good naturedly, "I guess you'll git
along. I wouldn't mind if folks would only say, 'Oh, childern will be
childern;' but they won't. They'll say, 'Land o' Goodness, who fetched
them childern up?' Now it's quarter past five; you can go, an'
whatever yer do, don't forget your mother was a McGrill!"

VI.

"WHEN THE PIE WAS OPENED, THE BIRDS BEGAN TO SING!"

The children went out the back door quietly, and were presently lost to
sight, Sarah Maud slipping and stumbling along absent-mindedly as she
recited, under her breath,
"It--was--such--a--pleasant--evenin'--an--sech--a--short
--walk--we--thought--we'd--leave--our--hats--to--home."

Peter rang the door bell, and presently a servant admitted them, and,
whispering something in Sarah's ear, drew her downstairs into the
kitchen. The other Ruggleses stood in horror-stricken groups as the
door closed behind their commanding officer; but there was no time for
reflection, for a voice from above was heard, saying, "Come right