r dippers, until the dippers were full.
She herself went busily at work, finding strawberries and putting them
into the dippers of the children, sometimes into one and sometimes
into another. In a short time the dippers were full.

The whole party then went back to the brook and sat down upon the
great flat stone, with their dippers before them. Mary Erskine then
brought out one of her baskets, and lifting up the cover, she took out
five saucers and five spoons.

"There," said she, "I brought you some saucers and spoons to eat your
strawberries with. Now take up the bunches from your dippers, and pull
off the strawberries from the stems, and put them in the saucers."

While the children were all busily engaged in doing this, Mary Erskine
opened the other basket, and took out a pitcher of very rich looking
cream. The sight of this treasure of course awakened in all the
party the utmost enthusiasm and delight. They went on hulling their
strawberries very industriously, and were soon ready, one after
another, to have the cream poured over them, which Mary Erskine
proceeded to do, giving to each one of the children a very abundant
supply.

[Illustration: THE STRAWBERRY PARTY.]

Phonny finished his strawberries first, and then went to the margin of
the brook to look into the water, in order, as he said, "to see if he
could see any fishes." He did see several, and became greatly excited
in consequence, calling eagerly upon the rest of the party to
come down and look. He said that he wished very much that he had a
fishing-line. Mary Erskine said that Thomas had a fishing-line,
which he would lend him, she had no doubt; and away Phonny went,
accordingly, to find Thomas and to get the line.

This procedure was not quite right on Phonny's part. It is not right
to abandon one's party under such circumstances as these, for the sake
of some new pleasure accidentally coming into view, which the whole
party cannot share. Besides, Phonny left his dipper for Mary Erskine
or Malleville to carry up, instead of taking care of it himself. Mary
Erskine, however, said that this was of no consequence, as she could
carry it just as well as not.

Mary Erskine and the three remaining children, then went back to the
house, where Bella and Malleville amused themselves for half an hour
in building houses with the blocks in Thomas's shop, when all at once
Malleville was surprised to see Beechnut coming in. Beechnut, was
returning from the mi