on the lounge, took John's head in
my lap, and tried to explain what you meant. I told him I had heard
enough about brick, and didn't care what you said about wood. We
should hold to our original plan and have a stone house; but you
didn't know where it was to be, and wished us to be thoroughly posted,
then use our common-sense and decide for ourselves what it should be.
In some places it would be most absurd to build of wood; in others
equally so to build of anything else. The matter of cost, too, might
affect our choice, and that you knew nothing about.

In my efforts to restore his equanimity, I had forgotten my broom and
dust-pan, lying in the middle of the floor; forgotten John's big
boots, not only on the lounge, but directly on one of Jane's most
exquisite tidies; forgotten--actually forgotten--the baby, and was
treating my disturbed husband in genuine ante-matrimonial style, when,
of all things to happen at this very crisis, in marched Sister Jane
and her cavalier! Simultaneously the baby awoke with a resounding
scream.

Now there are three things that my notable sister holds in especial
abhorrence,--untidy housekeeping, sentimental demonstrations between
married people, and crying babies; and here they all were in an
avalanche, overwhelming, not only herself, but a most prepossessing
young man, who, for all I knew, was viewing me with a critic's eye,
as a possible sister-in-law, and wondering how far certain traits are
universal in families.

You will think I stand in great awe of Sister Jane; and so I do, for
though she is two years younger than I, unmarried, and, candidly, not
a bit wiser, she is one of those oracular persons who, unlike Mr.
Toots, not only fancy that what they say and do is of the utmost
consequence, but contrive to make other people think so, too.

It is one of my husband's notions that nothing in the house is too
good to be used every day by those he loves best, meaning baby and I.
So I have no parlor--no best room always ready for exhibition--into
which I could send them, but my inspiration came just at the right
moment.

"Don't, Jane, don't, for pity's sake, bring all that rubbish into the
sitting-room!" She had her hands full of moss and flowers. "Please
take it out on the piazza. John will carry you some chairs." And Jane
was positively too much astonished to say a single word, but turned
and walked out the way she came in, driving her dutiful escort before
her.

Fortunately,