surrounded
by fifty little wax tapers, indicating her age, which all counted, and
all counted differently, giving opportunity to the four musical friends
to enter upon a fresh and lively discussion. The party was marshalled by
Miss Pix in the order of houses, while she herself squeezed past them
all on the staircase, to usher them into Mrs. Blake's presence.

Mrs. Blake was sitting in her reclining-chair as Miss Pix entered with
her retinue. The room was in perfect order, and had about it such an air
of neatness and purity that one felt one's self in a haven of rest upon
crossing the threshold. The invalid sat quiet and at ease, looking forth
upon the scene before her as if so safely moored that no troubling of
the elements could ever reach her. Here had she lived, year after year,
almost alone with herself, though now the big-souled little
music-teacher was her constant visitor; but the entrance of all her
neighbors seemed in no wise to agitate her placid demeanor. She greeted
Miss Pix with a pleased smile; and all being now in the room, the
bustling little woman, at the very zenith of her sunny course, took her
stand and said,--

"This is my company, dear Mrs. Blake. These are all neighbors of ours,
living in the court, or close by. We have been having a right merry
time, and now we can't break up without bringing you our good
wishes,--our Christmas good wishes, and our birthday good wishes," said
Miss Pix, with a little oratorical flourish, which brought Gretchen to
the front with her illuminated cake, which she positively could not have
held another moment, so heavy had it grown, even for her stout arms.

Mrs. Blake laughed gently, and with a delighted look examined the great
cake, with her initials, and did not need to count the wax tapers. It
was placed on a stand, and she said,--

"Now I should like to entertain my guests, and, if you will let me, I
will give you each a piece of my cake,--for it all belongs to me, after
Miss Pix's graceful presentation; and if Miss Pix will be so good, I
will ask her to make me personally acquainted with each of you."

So a knife was brought, and Mrs. Blake cut a generous piece, when Doctor
Chocker was introduced, with great gesticulation on the part of Miss
Pix.

"I am glad to see you, Doctor Chocker," said Mrs. Blake, distinctly, but
quietly, into his trumpet. "Do you let your patients eat cake? Try this,
and see if it isn't good for me."

"If I were a doctor of medicin