ake her eyes very bad; very bad
indeed," he repeated, impressively.

"I won't cry," said Phronsie; "no, not one bit." And she wiped off the
last tear with her fat little hand, and watched to see what next was to
be done.

And Polly was left, very rebellious indeed, in the big bed, with a
cooling lotion on the poor eyes, that somehow didn't cool them one bit.

"If 'twas anythin' but my eyes, mammy, I could stand it," she bewailed,
flouncing over and over in her impatience; "and who'll do all the work
now?"

"Don't think of the work, Polly," said Mrs. Pepper.

"I can't do anything but think," said poor Polly.

Just at that moment a queer noise out in the kitchen was heard.

"Do go out, mother, and see what 'tis," said Polly.

"I've come," said a cracked voice, close up by the bedroom door,
followed by a big black cap, which could belong to no other than Grandma
Bascom, "to set by you a spell; what's the matter?" she asked, and
stopped, amazed to see Polly in bed.

"Oh, Polly's taken," screamed Mrs. Pepper in her ear.

"Taken!" repeated the old lady, "what is it--a fit?"

"No," said Mrs. Pepper; "the same as Ben's got; and Phronsie; the
measles."

"The measles, has she?" said grandma; "well, that's bad; and Ben's away,
you say."

"No, he isn't either," screamed Mrs. Pepper, "he's got them, too!"

"Got two what?" asked grandma.

"Measles! he's got the measles too," repeated Mrs. Pepper, loud as she
could; so loud that the old lady's cap trembled at the noise.

"Oh! the dreadful!" said grandma; "and this girl too?" laying her hand
on Phronsie's head.

"Yes," said Mrs. Pepper, feeling it a little relief to tell over her
miseries; "all three of them!"

"I haven't," said Joel, coming in in hopes that grandma had a stray
peppermint or two in her pocket, as she sometimes did; "and I'm not
going to, either."

"Oh, dear," groaned his mother; "that's what Polly said; and she's
got 'em bad. It's her eyes," she screamed to grandma, who looked
inquiringly.

"Her eyes, is it?" asked Mrs. Bascom; "well, I've got a receet that
cousin Samanthy's folks had when John's children had 'em; and I'll run
right along home and get it," and she started to go.

"No, you needn't," screamed Mrs. Pepper; "thank you, Mrs. Bascom; but
Dr. Fisher's been here; and he put something on Polly's eyes; and he
said it mustn't be touched."

"Hey?" said the old lady; so Mrs. Pepper had to go all over it again,
till at last she made h