fore her mother left.

"No, Ernestine, I spoke quite as decidedly the first time you asked me.
Be all ready to go by this day week, you have not much sewing to do.
Good-bye, once more, my girls; be careful of the lights, take good care
of yourselves and do not get sick. Write to Jean to-morrow, a nice long
letter and tell her everything. Good-bye."

So she went away again, and nothing discouraged at her inability to
secure Olive's dress, Ernestine danced gayly into the house and off to
her room, to overlook, for the dozenth time, her little collection of
trinkets, and to sing blithely over her dresses; for she did possess the
spirit of coming down cheerfully to any thing inevitable excepting work,
and then, perhaps, mama would relent at the final moment, when she saw
how much a black dress was really needed.

"It's as lonesome as a desert, and Ernestine is selfish as a pig,"
declared Kittie, subsiding gloomily on to the stairs as the hack rattled
out of sight.

"Two solemn facts, but they won't wash the dishes," rejoined Kat,
balancing over the bannisters, in a way that threatened immediate
perpendicularity, with a change of base from what was customary.

"I hate dishes and dish-pans and everything," exclaimed Kittie with much
vehemence. "Any how, this is your week to wash, and mine to wipe; go
along and get the old things ready, and I'll be out in a minute."

"I'll change with you next week," said Beatrice turning from the door,
where she had stood contemplatively. "You and Kat may tend to all the
sweeping, and dusting, and keeping the house in order, and I'll do the
kitchen work."

"Hurrah, will you?" cried Kittie, flying up from her despondent
attitude. "You're a jewel, Bea, shake hands."

Bea surrendered her hand with some misgiving, rightfully conjecturing
that it would receive a shake and twist of over-powering heartiness in
the high tide of Kittie's spirits; and that young lady, having done her
best to dislocate that useful member, rushed off to impart the news to
Kat, and swing her dish rag jubilantly.

The change of instruments, as the girls said, took place Monday morning.
Bea awoke, to find her bed-posts ornamented variously, with a dish-pan,
a flaunting rag and two scrupulously neat towels, while there was a
sound of revelry in the lower hall, which would indicate that the twins
were up, and at their new branch of work, with a vigor which novelty
always imparts to labor. Not that there was anything