hie. But I am sure I _wouldn't_ just as lief!
I would liefer you should have all you need without."

"I know that, mother. But it wouldn't be half so good for me!"

"That's something horrid, I know!" exclaimed Barbara, coming in upon
the last word. "It always is, when people talk about its being good
for them. It's sure to be salts or senna, and most likely both."

"O dear me!" said Ruth, suddenly seized with a new perception of
difficulty. Until now, she had only been considering whether she
could, and if Mrs. Holabird would approve. "_Don't_ you--or Rose--call
it names, Barbara, please, will you?"

"Which of us are you most afraid of? For Rosamond's salts and senna
are different from mine, pretty often. I guess it's hers this time, by
your putting her in that anxious parenthesis."

"I'm afraid of your fun, Barbara, and I'm afraid of Rosamond's--"

"Earnest? Well, that is much the more frightful. It is so awfully
quiet and pretty-behaved and positive. But if you're going to retain
me on your side, you'll have to lay the case before me, you know, and
give me a fee. You needn't stand there, bribing the judge beforehand."

Ruth turned right round and kissed Barbara.

"I want you to go with me and see if Mrs. Hadden and Mrs. Lewis
Marchbanks would let me teach the children."

"Teach the children! What?"

"O, music, of course. That's all I know, pretty much. And--make Rose
understand."

"Ruth, you're a duck! I like you for it! But I'm not sure I like
_it_."

"Will you do just those two things?"

"It's a beautiful programme. But suppose we leave out the first part?
I think you could do that alone. It would spoil it if I went. It's
such a nice little spontaneous idea of your own, you see. But if we
made it a regular family delegation--besides, it will take as much as
all me to manage the second. Rosamond is very elegant to-day. Last
night's twilight isn't over. And it's funny _we_'ve plans too; _we_'re
going to give lessons,--differently; we're going to lead off, for
once,--we Holabirds; and I don't know exactly how the music will chime
in. It _may_ make things--Holabirdy."

Rosamond had true perceptions, and she was conscientious. What she
said, therefore, when she was told, was,--

"O dear! I suppose it is right! But--just now! Right things do come in
so terribly askew, like good old Mr. Isosceles, sidling up the broad
aisle of a Sunday! Couldn't you wait awhile, Ruth?"

"And then somebody else would get