he grave! The last one I had was Irish, and very Catholic."

Prudy groaned for sympathy, and wiped her eyes on that corner of her
handkerchief which was supposed to be not quite "cried up."

"Yes, indeed, it was awful," continued Mrs. Piper; "for she was always
going to masses and mass-meetings; and there couldn't anybody die but
they must be 'waked,' you know."

"Why, I didn't know they could be waked up when they was dead," said
Prudy, opening her eyes.

"O, but they only _make believe_ you can wake 'em," said Mrs. Piper; "of
course it isn't true! For my part, I don't believe a word an Irish girl
says, any way."

"Hush, my child," she continued, turning to Dotty, who was now
sharpening the silver knife on the edges of the iron grate. "Betsey, why
in the world don't you see to that baby? I believe you are losing your
mind!"

"That makes me think," said Prudy, suddenly breaking in with a new
idea; "what do you s'pose the reason is folks can't be waked up? What
makes 'em stay in heaven all the days, and nights, and years, and never
come down here to see anybody, not a minute?"

"What an idea!" said Annie. "I'm sure I don't know."

"Well, I've been a thinkin'," said Prudy, answering her own question,
"that when God has sended 'em up to the sky, they like to stay up there
the best. It's a nicer place, a great deal nicer place, up to God's
house."

"O, yes, of course," replied Annie, "but our play--"

"I've been a thinkin'," continued Prudy, "that when I go up to God's
house, I shan't wear the splint. I can run all over the house, and he'll
be willing I should go up stairs, and down cellar, you know."

Prudy sighed. Sometimes she almost longed for "God's house."

"Well, let's go on with our play," said Annie, impatiently. "It's most
supper-time, Mrs. Shotwell. Come in, Betsey."

"Ma'am?" said Betsey, appearing at the door, and turning up one ear,
very much as if it were a dipper, in which she expected to catch the
words which dropped from the lips of her mistress. "Betsey, have you
attended to your sister--to my little child, I mean? Then go out and
make some sassafras cakes, and some eel-pie, and some squirrel-soup;
and set the table in five minutes: do you hear?"

"Ma'am?" said the deaf servant; "what did you say about ginger-bread?"

Susy did not like her part of the game; but she played it as well as she
could, and let Annie manage everything, because that was what pleased
Annie.

"O, how stupid Bets