'm glad.
Little houses are so pretty and cunning, I always wanted to live in one.
Susie Brown's Papa does, and Susie can go into the kitchen whenever she
likes, and she toasts the bread for tea, and does all sorts of things.
Do you suppose that I may toast the bread when we go to live in our
little house, Papa?"

"I daresay Mamma will be glad of your help in a great many ways,"
replied Papa.

"Shall we be poor, very poor indeed?" demanded Bertha anxiously.

"Pretty poor for the present, I am afraid," replied her Father.

"Goody! goody!" cried May, hopping up and down on her toes. "I always
wanted to be poor, it's so nice! We'll have the _best_ times, Papa; see
if we don't!"

Papa actually laughed, May's happy, eager face amused him so much.

"I know what we'll do," said Jack, who had been considering the matter
in silence. "We'll raise lots of chickens, and give you all the money,
Papa."

"My boy, I am afraid you must give up your chickens. There will be no
place for them in the new home."

"Must we?" Jack gave a little gulp, but went on manfully, "Well, never
mind, we'll find something else that we can do."

"Mr. Ashurst says Jack is the 'handiest' boy he ever saw, Papa," put in
Arthur eagerly.

"Well, handiness is a capital stock-in-trade. Now, dears, one thing,--be
as good and gentle as possible with Mamma, and don't trouble her a bit
more than you can help."

"We will, we will," promised the little flock. Mrs. Frisbie was quite
right in saying that the children took after their father. Their brave,
bright natures were as unlike hers as possible.

It is sad to see what short time it requires to pull down and destroy a
home which has taken years to build. The Frisbies' handsome, luxurious
house seemed to change and empty all in a moment. Carriages were sold,
servants dismissed. Furniture was packed and carried away. In a few days
nothing remained but a fine empty shell, with a staring advertisement of
"For Sale" pasted on it. The familiar look was all gone, and everybody
was glad to get away from the place. It took some time to find the
"little house," and some time longer to put it to rights. Papa attended
to all that, the children remaining meanwhile with Grandmamma. Mamma
had taken to her bed with a nervous attack, and cried day and night.
Everybody was sorry; they all waited on her, and did their best to raise
her spirits.

At last the new home was ready. It was evening when the carriage set
them