an organ. I do want to be able to play the
organ."

Esther grew impatient; these things seemed so trifling and useless
compared with what she had in her mind. "I think you ought to try and
think how you can help Cousin Charlotte instead of giving her more to do."

"That's just it," persisted Penelope. "If I only knew how to play well,
I could be an organist, and teach people, too, and earn quite a lot of
money."

"Not for years and years," said Esther, in a very crushing manner.
"And we ought to begin to help at once. I'll tell you what I am going to
do--I thought of it last night when I was in bed; it is not nonsense,
but something very sensible. I am going to ask Cousin Charlotte to let me
help Anna; I can do a lot if I have some big aprons like Anna's, and big
white sleeves to go over my frocks. I know Cousin Charlotte and Anna
don't want to have a strange servant in; she would cost a lot, and Anna
wouldn't like her in the kitchen--and I could save all that."

"And I could help too," cried Angela excitedly. She was a born housewife,
and all her tastes lay in that direction. "I can dust, and clean silver,
and all sorts of things--"

"I am going to do all that," said Esther loftily, resenting at once any
encroachment on her domain. "You can keep Poppy out of mischief, and play
with her. I can do the hard work, if you will only be good and keep out
of harm."

Angela's face and spirits fell. She did so love to do real work, it was
so much more interesting than play; and keeping out of harm was not a bit
interesting--it was very dull and stupid, in fact. But Angela was used to
disappointments; besides which experience had already taught her that if
she waited patiently she could often find little things to do, little ways
of helping, that others forgot, or did not care about, so she said no
more, but waited. "When I am older, perhaps I'll be able to do the things
I like," she very often said to herself, by way of encouragement.

Esther crept back to her room and to her bed, and lay there impatiently,
waiting to be called. The minutes seemed endless, and Anna so slow in
coming!

And when at last she was dressed and downstairs she had scarcely patience
to endure prayers and breakfast, she was so longing to broach her great
idea to Cousin Charlotte. But Cousin Charlotte seemed to be wanted by
everybody. First Ephraim kept her ever so long talking over the day's
work; then Anna came in with a questio