on a sunny May morning, "This is rent day, isn't it, Ma?" in a tone of
awe, as if the date marked some gruesome ceremony.

You came to understand about rent day when toward the end of the month
there were no pennies to be had, and you were forced to wait for the
shoes or rubbers you needed.

That rent day was a milestone to be dreaded even Nell vaguely guessed
and when it had passed in safety all the McGregors, both big and
little, joined in a general rejoicing.

Ma was the magician who accomplished that happy miracle. Ma always
contrived to accomplish everything, so of course she managed rent day
along with the rest of the wonders she performed. She made no secret,
either, of how she did it. She sewed! Yes, she sewed for a dressmaker
who sent her marvelous dresses to embroider. For Ma was very clever
with her needle and right out of the blue sky could make the most
beautiful flowers and figures with colored silks. She could also do
beading and she was teaching Mary how to do it. Already Mary could do
quite nice embroidery and exquisite plain sewing.

Ma was very proud of this.

But what Mary did chiefly when she was not at school was to help with
the housework so her mother would be free to sew. That was the
important thing. Ma must not roughen her hands or the silks she worked
with would be spoiled. So Mary cooked and scrubbed like a real little
housewife; took care of the younger children and kept them quiet so
they would not interrupt their mother.

And between school hours Carl and Tim helped also. They built the
fires, wiped the dishes, ran errands, and brought home any bits of
discarded wood they found in the streets. In fact, there was not one
drone in the McGregor hive. Even James Frederick had learned to lie in
his crib and play by himself when everybody was busy.

It was a happy family, the McGregors. Its members, it is true, did not
have everything they wanted. They never expected that. Those who had
mittens lacked new caps, and those who had caps were often forced to
wear patched shoes and made-over stockings. Martin's reefer frequently
did duty for Nell, and Mrs. McGregor's cape for Mary. However, all that
did not matter. They were happy and that was the chief thing, happy in
spite of patched clothing, coats that were outgrown, rubbers that were
either sizes too small or dropped off at every step, and shoes that
were common property. The little flat was sometimes hot in summer and
cold in winter b