ncident of the
story, however, consisted in the Captain's children unconsciously
bringing peace and goodwill into the family by performing the old
Christmas play or Mystery of "The Peace Egg." This play we had been
accustomed to see acted in Yorkshire, and to act ourselves when we
were young. I recollect how proud we were on one occasion, when our
disguises were so complete, that a neighbouring farmer's wife, at
whose door we went to act, drove us as ignominiously away, as the
House-keeper did the children in the story. "Darkie," who "slipped in
last like a black shadow," and "Pax," who jumped on to Mamma's lap,
"where, sitting facing the company, he opened his black mouth and
yawned, with ludicrous inappropriateness," are life-like portraits of
two favourite dogs.

The tale was a very popular one, and many children wrote to ask where
they could buy copies of the Play in order to act it themselves. These
inquiries led Julie to compile a fresh arrangement of it, for she knew
that in its original form it was rather too roughly worded to be fit
for nursery use; so in _Aunt Judy's Magazine_ (January 1884) she
published an adaptation of "The Peace Egg, a Christmas Mumming Play,"
together with some interesting information about the various versions
of it which exist in different parts of England.

She contributed "Six to Sixteen" as a serial to the Magazine in 1872,
and it was illustrated by Mrs. Allingham. When it was published as a
book, the dedication to Miss Eleanor Lloyd told that many of the
theories on the up-bringing of girls, which the story contained, were
the result of the somewhat desultory, if intellectual, home education
which we had received from our Mother. This education Miss Lloyd had,
to a great extent, shared during the happy visits she paid us; when
she entered into our interests with the zest of a sister, and in more
than one point outstripped us in following the pursuits for which
Mother gave us a taste. Julie never really either went to school or
had a governess, though for a brief period she was under the kind care
of some ladies at Brighton, but they were relations, and she went to
them more for the benefit of sea breezes than lessons. She certainly
chiefly educated herself by the "thorough" way in which she pursued
the various tastes she had inherited, and into which she was guided by
our Mother. Then she never thought she had learned _enough_, but
throughout her whole life was constantly improvin