of which would be very impressive and very convincing to the young
hearers, did not a small boy, named Jedediah Treadwell, at this moment
come suddenly rushing across the hall, shouting--

"Ho! Candy! I smell merlasses candy. They're making it. Come on."

And down they run--all but Ben, who prefers to go through the house in
search of adventures. He opens a door, sees a small ring of prettily
dressed little girls and boys, hand in hand, singing:

"Oats, pease, beans, and barley grows!
You nor I nor nobody knows
Where, oats, pease, beans, and barley grows."

He beats a hasty retreat. Signs of commotion come from Mr. Reed's room
on the other side of the hall; but Ben, hearing Fandy's familiar voice
there, turns aside and goes slowly down stairs, feeling rather bored
since there is no one to listen to his stories.

Soon he is in the kitchen, laughing with the rest at Donald's expressive
masterpiece, but secretly resolving never to go into company again until
he can have a frock-coat. The blue cloth jacket and trousers, bought
with his last year's savings, somehow do not seem to him as fine as they
did when he put them on earlier in the day; though he is an independent
youth, not easily made dissatisfied with his appearance. For the first
time in his life he rather envies Daniel David and Ellen Elizabeth, who
look remarkably well on this occasion, being dressed in clothes that
once were Donald's and Dorothy's. This is no unusual effect. For Lydia,
with Mr. Reed's hearty sanction, has long been in the habit of slyly
handing garments to Mrs. Danby, with the flattering assurance that as
the dear D's grow like weeds, it will be an act of real kindness if Mrs.
Danby will turn the clothes to good account; and Mrs. Danby always has
complied.

Talking of the Danbys, perhaps this is a fitting time to explain the
commotion that Ben heard in Mr. Reed's sleeping-room.

A moment before, and in the midst of certain lively planning, a
middle-sized boy, named Thomas Budd, had strayed from the candy-pulling
scene and appeared at the threshold of this apartment, where Charity
Danby, little Isabella Danby, Fandy, and three or four others were
assembled.

"All right!" shouted Fandy, excitedly, as Master Budd entered; "come
along, Tommy Budd, you can play too. Now Charity Cora, look out for
Is'bella! We're going to have my new game."

"Oh, please do, Cora! quick!" cried little Helen Danby. "Fandy's mad