led rank
should wear silk, the good wives of traders lined theirs with silk and
hung them up in grand array to gratify their visitors or themselves.

"You have so many lovely things," said a girl enviously. "I haven't but
one silk frock, and that was Mary's until she outgrew it. And mother's
so choice of it; she thinks it ought to last and go to Ruth."

"Why, you see, so many things came from India," apologized Cynthia,
almost ashamed of having so much. "And there's a boxful upstairs, but I
think I like the white muslins best, they look so pretty when they are
clean, and you don't have to be so careful."

"Do you ever get scolded when accidents happen?"

"Well, not much. Cousin Eunice is so sweet. Cousin Elizabeth was more
particular."

"And Miss Winn?"

"Oh, my dear Rachel loves me too much," the child said laughingly.

There were so many odd and pretty things that they staid up until all
the girls had come--not one of them declined. Then they went down to the
parlors.

"Cousin Chilian said this back room was to be mine. That lovely desk
and the cabinet were my own mother's. And the table is teakwood. The
chair father had carved for me, and that big portrait is father. This
case has miniatures of them both, but it is too big ever to wear."

"What a pity!"

It was a beautifully engraved gold case, set with jewels.

"Well, you are a lucky girl! And you can have all these yourself. You
just don't have to share them with anybody. Is the room truly yours?"

"Why, it is to put my things in, but anybody can come in it, and we can
go in the other room. Most of those articles were Cousin Chilian's
father's and mother's, and the great clock in the hall came over in
1640. It's funny;" and she laughed. "Old furniture and quilts and things
never get cross and queer as folks sometimes do."

"Well, they're not really alive."

"And they last so much longer than folks."

They had not inspected all the things when Miss Winn invited them out to
supper. She took the head of the table, and began to talk so that they
should not feel embarrassed. The lovely old china was on the table, and
two vases of flowers that looked as if they were set with gems. 'Mimy
passed the plates of bread and butter and cold meats and cottage cheese,
and after a little they all began to talk as if it was recess at
school.

Mr. Chilian Leverett passed through the sitting-room and thought it was
really an enchanting sight, and that Cynthia was t