h a happy New Year to you!"

"Thank you, dear child. I wish you the same; but I want you to give
Polly a cracker as quickly as you can to stop her screaming; for I fear
she will wake both guests and babies."

"Yes, sir; I will. I was just going to," replied the little girl. "Then
shall I stay up?"

"I think you may as well go back to bed and try to take another nap," he
answered. "It is very early yet."

Lulu hurried into the sitting-room where Polly's cage was hanging, and
struck a light.

"What you 'bout? Where you been?" demanded the parrot.

"Sleeping in my bed as I have a right to, Miss Saucebox," returned Lulu,
laughing as she opened a cupboard door and brought out a paper of
crackers. "There, take that and see if you can hold your tongue till
folks are ready to get up."

The bird took the offered cracker and began eating it, standing on one
foot, on its perch, and holding the food in the claws of the other,
while it bit off a little at a time, Lulu looking on with interest.

"You'll have to behave better than this, or you'll get banished to the
attic, or the kitchen, or some other far-off place," she said, shaking
her finger threateningly at Poll.

Then, after turning down the light, she ran back to bed.

"Are you asleep, Eva?" she asked in a whisper.

"No dear; wide awake."

"Then let's talk; for I'm as wide awake as I can be."

"But didn't your father say you were to try for another nap?"

"I understood him to mean only that I might if I chose, not that I must;
but perhaps he meant that he wanted me to; so I'll keep quiet and try."

She did so, saying to herself, "I just know it's no use, for I was never
wider awake in my life," but to her great astonishment the next thing
she knew it was broad daylight and Eva up and brushing out her hair
before the mirror over the bureau.

"Why, I've been asleep and I hadn't the least idea of such a thing!"
cried Lulu springing out upon the floor and beginning to dress in all
haste.

"Oh, you've had a nice nap and will feel the better for it all day, I'm
sure," returned Eva laughing in a kindly way; "and that is your reward
for trying to do as your papa probably wished you to. But need you hurry
so? isn't it a good while to breakfast time?"

"Yes, but I have to dress and say my prayers; and I always like so much
to have a little time to chat with papa before the bell rings."

"Lu! Lu!" screamed the parrot, "time for breakfast! Polly wants her
coffee."