tell you,--this is the position! We also have
such cousins,--fourteen in number,--in Minnesota. And there was an
auction at school, and I got all kinds of odd picknickles and
bucknickles, thinking they would do for the box,--and I returned to find
that Mother had sent it off three days ago, filled to overflowing. You
see, the boys are just behind ours in age and size, so there are always
lots of jackets (never any trousers, of course), and she thought they
would be needed for the cold weather,--and I forgot to tell her about my
purchases. What do you say, Hilda? Oh, come up into my room, and see
some of the things! They are rather nice, some of them, and others just
funny. Come on!"

Away went the three girls, up to Bell's sunny room, where the trunks
stood open, with trays of hats on the bed, and a general effect of
"just-arrived-and-haven't-had-time-to-get-settled" pervading all. Bell
cleared a chair for Hildegarde, and bidding Gertrude "perch where she
could," began to pull things out of the big, brown trunk, talking as she
went.

"You see, girls, the way of it was this. There is always an auction at
the end of the year, and generally things stay over for that; but this
time there had been a fire in the town, and a good many poor families
were left destitute. Mrs. Tower suggested that, perhaps, we might make
up a little purse, or take charge of one family for the winter. We
agreed to do the latter, and made up a committee to order coal and wood,
and another to make clothes for the children,--seven children, poor
little things! and the father so badly hurt in saving the youngest baby
that he will not be able to work for several weeks. Well, I was on the
committee to order the things; but when I came to collect the money,
some of the girls, who wanted most to help, were very hard up, myself
included. So near the end of the term, you see, and we had been buying
Christmas things and all. So I said, 'Suppose we have an auction!' for
there were some girls--not many, but I suppose there are a few
everywhere--who didn't care a bit about the poor family, and yet we knew
they had money, and we were bound to get some of it. I had the sale in
my room. It was great fun. I hung out a red flag, and posted flaming
notices in all the halls and corridors; and we had a great crowd. Me!
oh, no, I was not auctioneer! I could not possibly talk fast enough.
Caroline Hazen did it splendidly. Her mother was Irish, and she can drop
into the