rranging their dishes, and brewing their cowslip-tea.

"Our mamma is coming," said Fanny to Matilda: "is yours?"

"No; she says she can't come--but papa will."

"So will our papa. It was so funny at dinner. Mr Paxton came in, and
asked whether papa would ride with him; and papa said it was out of the
question; it must be to-morrow; for he had an engagement this
afternoon."

"A very particular engagement, he said," observed Mary: "and he smiled
at me so, I could not help laughing. Fanny, do look at Matilda's dish
of strawberries! How pretty!"

"There's somebody coming," observed little Anna, who, being too young to
help, and liable to be tempted to put her fingers into the good things,
was sent to amuse herself with jumping up and down the steps.

"There now! That is always the way, is not it, Miss Young?" cried
Fanny. "Who is it, George? Mr Enderby? Oh, do not let him come in
yet! Tell him he must not come this half-hour."

Mr Enderby chose to enter, however, and all opposition gave way before
him.

"Pray don't send me back," said he, "till you know what I am come for.
Now, who will pick my pockets?"

Little Anna was most on a level with the coat pocket. She almost buried
her face in it as she dived, the whole length of her arm, to the very
bottom. George attacked its fellow, while the waistcoat pockets were at
the mercy of the taller children. A number of white parcels made their
appearance, and the little girls screamed with delight.

"Miss Young!" cried Fanny, "do come and help us to pick Mr Enderby's
pockets. See what I have got--the very largest of all!"

When every pocket had been thoroughly picked without Miss Young's
assistance, the table did indeed show a goodly pile of white
cornucopia,--that most agitating form of paper to children's eyes. When
opened, there was found such a store of sweet things as the little girls
had seldom before seen out of the confectioner's shop. Difficulties are
apt to come with good fortune; and the anxious question was now asked,
how all these dainties were to be dished up. Miss Young was, as usual,
the friend in need. She had before lent two small china plates of her
own; and she now supplied the further want. She knew how to make pretty
square boxes out of writing-paper; and her nimble scissors and neat
fingers now provided a sufficiency of these in a trice. Uncle Philip
was called upon, as each was finished, to admire her skill; and admire
he did,