s wonderful to her eyes as to those of the children, who now
gathered round as near as they dare come, while Mrs. Ling cautiously
peeped over their heads.

"I see you feel like a king!" said Faith filling both Japhet's
hands.--"There! now I hope you don't feel like Alexander."

"Alexander haint got nothin'!" said Japhet, looking towards his eldest
brother.

Which did not overset Faith's gravity, because by this time she had
none to speak of. Alexander's delight was found to be in red apples,
and he thought a little common top a treasure such as neither Diogenes
nor the real Alexander knew of between them! One little girl was made
happy with a wonderful picture-book in which there were a dog, a cat,
and a lion with a great mane just ready to eat a man up, with the
stories thereto pertaining; and a neat little slate seemed a most
desirable acquisition to the bright eyes of an older girl. They were
all more satisfied than the conqueror of the world by the time Faith
rose from the basket; and then she offered her tribute of gingerbread
to Mrs. Ling. The little girl with the slate, once released from the
spell of the basket, went up to Mr. Linden (who had stood looking on)
and said,--"She's awake now, if you please, sir,"--and he turned and
went into the next room, leaving Mrs. Ling to entertain Faith as best
she might. For which Mrs. Ling was most ready.

"Ma always does want to see him"--she said. "You see, ma'am, she can't
never get up now, so it's a play to hear somebody talk. And ma likes
him special. Mr. Somers he's been kind too--and Mrs.--he come down when
ma was first took, and since; but someways she don't just see into him
much. I don' know but it's along of his bein' better than other
folks--but after all, a person wants to have even good things talked to
'em so's they can understand. Now Mr. Linden,--my Mary there 'll listen
to him for an hour, and never lose a word." And Mary's bright little
eyes answered that readily, while Mrs. Ling's went back to the basket.

"I can't believe!" she said. "You don't know what you've done, ma'am!
Why there aint one o' them children as ever see a real live turkey
cooked, in their existence."

"You don't know what pleasure I had in doing it for them, Mrs. Ling.
Mr. Linden told me there was a houseful of children."

"Well so there is!" said Mrs. Ling looking round the room,--"and it's
no wonder he thinks so, for they tease him most out of his life
sometimes when he's here