"And you will feed our poor robin," said Emily; "he has come every
winter for a great many years, and he knows that window; but you must
shut it after you have put out the crumbs, for fear of the cat. He
knows us, and he will soon know you."

As the three girls walked back to the house, they were quite busy in
telling and hearing what things were to be attended to. Lucy and Emily
felt like people who have had a tight cord bound over their hearts, and
that cord had been suddenly cut, and they were loose.

The three weeks which followed that day were a time of great bustle. On
one evening all the children of the school came and had tea in the
field behind the barn; and Mrs. Goodriche and Bessy came, that they
might get acquainted with them.

Another day all the old people whom the children loved were invited to
dinner; and Mrs. Goodriche came also to make their acquaintance. No one
went away without some useful gift; but these meetings and partings
were sad, and made some wish they were in that blessed state in which
there shall be no more sorrow, nor any more tears.

Mary Bush, and nurse, and Margery, however, said that if Mr. and Mrs.
Fairchild must go, they could not have chosen anyone they should have
liked so well as Mrs. Goodriche.

All this bustle caused the few last days in the home of their childhood
to pass more easily with the little girls; but when they rose for the
last time, from that bed in which they had slept so long as they could
remember, they both felt a sadness which they could not overcome.

The breakfast was to be at an early hour, but, early as it was, Mrs.
Goodriche and Bessy had come before it was ready. They were to return
again to their old house for a day or two, but they wished to see the
last of their dear friends before their departure. Mr. Somers also came
in immediately after breakfast.

The coach from The Grove also arrived at the same time with Mr. Somers,
for the horses and coachman had rested during the night in the village.
Old Mrs. Fairchild always liked to be driven by the man she knew, and
drawn by the horses she had often proved; and they were to travel
slowly, and be three days on the road. Henry came flying in when the
coach arrived; and Lucy and Emily ran up once more to their little room
to cry again. Bessy followed them to comfort them, though she herself
was very sad.

John Trueman, who was at the house with his wife to take care of it
till Mrs. Goodriche took pos