Prudy looked at
them.

"I don't go with such poor girls when I'm home," said Grace.

"Nor I don't," said Susy.

"Nor me neither," chimed in little Prudy, glad to know what to say.

Aunt Madge shook her curly head. "I guess you mustn't have a party,"
said she, "if you slight good little girls because they are poor. Why,
I should ask her a great deal quicker, because it isn't often she has
any thing nice to eat at home."

"So would I," said Grace, looking ashamed. "You may put her name down,
auntie."

"Yes, put her name down, auntie," said Prudy.

Such a time as there was to get ready for that party! Aunt Madge and
aunt Louise worked with all their might, cooking nice things, and the
children were too happy to keep still. Susy's mother had gone back to
Portland.

When the first little girl arrived, Grace and Susy hadn't the
slightest idea what to do with her, and aunt Madge had to go in and
set them to playing "Puss in the corner."

The next girl that came was Abby Grant.

"I s'posed ye wouldn't come," said Prudy. "We never asked you."

"Why, child," said Grace, blushing, "yes we did ask her, too."

"O, so we did," said foolish little Prudy. "We asked you, Abby, 'cause
you don't get any thing nice to eat to your house!"

Grace didn't shake Prudy, only because she didn't dare to. In a few
minutes all the little girls had come, and the whole party went into
the front yard to play. Aunt Madge made believe she was a little girl,
and played "Ring Round Rosy," "Catch," and "Button," as hard as any
body. When they had played till they were all out of breath, aunt
Louise sent them to the summer-house in the garden to rest, while she
and aunt Madge set the table in the front yard. O, the apple puffs,
and lemon tarts, and little seed cakes, and frosted cake, and candy,
looked so good to poor little Abby Grant! Then the raspberries, like
red coral, and the white currants, like round pearls! Then the
flowers, fresh from the garden!

The children sat on the double steps of the long piazza to eat their
supper. They had plenty of room, and it was nice fun to peep round the
great white pillars at their neighbors' plates, and whisper to one
another, "I'm having a grand time, ain't you?" "What splendid cake!"
"Don't you wish you lived here?"

And the two aunties smiled, and said to each other,--

"It is worth all our trouble to see these children so happy."

After the table was cleared away they sang several pieces,