haved to
strangers as the little visitor was doing. Children were kept much more
in the background forty years ago than now. On the whole I don't know
that it was altogether a bad thing for them, though in some cases it was
carried too far, much farther than you, dear children of to-day, would
find at all pleasant, or than I should like to see.

'No, my dear, I am sure you did not mean any harm,' said Mrs. Fairchild.
'We all have to learn, but it is very nice for you to have a kind elder
sister to direct you.'

Biddy did not seem at that moment very keenly to appreciate this
privilege.

'I'd rather have a littler sister,' she said; but as she caught sight of
Celestina's astonished face, 'I don't mean for Alie to be away--Alie's
very kind--but I'd like a littler one too. It's very dull playing alone.
And oh, please,' as the word 'playing' recalled the bazaar and their
purchases, 'mayn't I see her dolls' house?' and she pointed to
Celestina.

Rosalys sighed. Bridget was incorrigible.

'It isn't a house,' said Celestina, 'it's only a room. May I get it,
mother? I do so want to see if the new chairs will do,' she went on, for
the first time disengaging the toys from her handkerchief. 'The others
are so big that when the dolls sit on them their legs go all over the
top of the table instead of underneath.'

'I know,' said Alie, 'that's how mine used to do when I was a little
girl and played with our doll-house. But mamma got some for me from
Germany all the proper size, on purpose. The doll-house was really very
pretty then.'

Celestina looked up with eager eyes.

'Oh, I would like to see it,' she said. 'It must be beautiful.'

'No' said Rosalys, 'it isn't now. Some of the furniture's broken, and
nearly all the chair-seats need new covers. But it might be made very
nice with a little trouble, only you see Bridget has never cared to play
with it.'

Biddy had drawn near and was standing listening.

'I daresay I would care if I had anybody to play with me,' she said.
'You know you're too big, Alie. I wish Celestina could come and play
with me. Won't you let her, if mamma says she may?' she went on, turning
to Mrs. Fairchild.

Celestina's eyes sparkled, but her mother looked rather grave.

'My dear young lady,' she said to Biddy, 'you are rather too young to
plan things of that kind till you have talked about them to your mamma.
Besides Celestina almost never goes anywhere.'

'I went to tea at Miss Bankes's onc