sleighs full of
uncles and aunts and cousins that came driving up to grandpa's door the
day before Thanksgiving; and, if you had heard the laughing and
shouting, you would have said they were as merry a set of people as ever
were got together.

Thanksgiving morning, grandpa said they must all go to church,--every
one of them, big and little,--except Aunt Susan, who had a bad cold. So
mamma dressed Eddy for church, and told him to be careful to keep
himself looking nice; for he was one of the worst boys to tear and soil
his clothes that you ever saw.

Eddy took a seat in the parlor, intending to be very careful; but pretty
soon he heard his cousins Harry and John talking in the kitchen, and
went out to see what was going on there.

[Illustration]

As he passed along, he saw Towzer, grandpa's great shaggy dog, on the
porch, and thought he must have a romp with him. He made Towzer sit up
and shake hands, and perform other tricks that had been taught him. Then
he thought Towzer would make a good horse.

So he straddled Towzer's back with his short fat legs, and told him to
"go 'long." But Towzer did not like to play horse, and tried to shake
Eddy off. Eddy held fast, and wriggled and shouted to make Towzer go.
All at once the dog gave a spring, and threw Eddy off into a puddle of
water.

Poor Eddy went into the house, muddy and dripping, and found that
everybody was ready to start for church. Of course, there was not time
to dress him again; so he had to stay with Aunt Susan.

He did not think that was very hard; for, after he was dressed clean
again, Aunt Susan gave him a cooky to eat, and a picture-book to look
at.

When he had got through with the book, she took him down cellar with her
to get some apples. Aunt Susan soon filled her pan, and started back;
but Eddy stopped to taste the apples in every barrel.

"Come, Eddy," called Aunt Susan from the head of the cellar-stairs.

"In a minute," answered Eddy, straining to reach the apples in a barrel
that was nearly empty. Just then he slipped, and fell into the barrel
head first, with his feet sticking up.

How he squealed! Aunt Susan's cold had made her so deaf, that she did
not hear him. He kept on squealing and kicking until the barrel tipped
over; and then he backed out of it, and went slowly up to the kitchen,
very red in the face.

He was pretty quiet after that until dinner was ready. After dinner the
children cracked nuts, and parched corn, and play