rrow night; but he may not be able
till next day."

"How he'll feel if he can't be here to Christmas!" said Dotty; "and so
much greens and things in the windows!"

"Yes; and how we shall both feel to know our little friends are keeping
house by themselves!"

"Keeping house? O, may we keep house!" exclaimed Prudy, her eyes
suddenly brightening.

"Why, yes, my child; you may be the lady of the mansion, if that is what
you mean, and Horace the lord."

"But may I cook the dinners, and not ask Mrs. Fixfax? Because I really
do know a great deal, Aunt Madge. You'd be surprised! I can cook cake,
and pie, and biscuit, and three kinds of pudding. Please, this once, let
me manage things just as I want to."

"Just as _we_ want, you mean," said Dotty. "I can make gingerbread as
well as you can."

"And I shaked a table-cloth once," put in the youngest. "Only I shan't
be here if my auntie tookens me off."

"Yes, auntie," said Horace; "let the girls manage. They'll get up queer
messes, but 'twill be good fun."

"Do you believe it?" said auntie, thoughtfully. And there entered her
brain, at that moment, a singular scheme, which, to almost any other
woman, would have seemed absurd.

"Poor little souls? Their visit has been a failure. I've a great mind to
make an arrangement with Mrs. Fixfax to have them keep house in her
room." (Mrs. Fixfax was Mrs. Allen's housekeeper.) "The novelty will
amuse them. Of course they will waste flour and sugar, but not very
much, probably, and Mrs. Fixfax will be on the watch to see that they
don't get too hungry. It will tax her severely, but I can pay her for
her trouble. Really, the more I think of it, the more I'm inclined to
try it. They say I'm foolishly indulgent to children. Perhaps so; but I
do want them happy when they come to my house visiting."

"Have you thinked it all up?" asked Fly, peeping into her auntie's face;
"I won't 'sturb Uncle 'Gustus."

"Yes, chickie; I've thinked of talking to Mrs. Fixfax about letting you
all keep house; that is, if she won't consider it too much trouble."

"Trouble?" said Prudy; "why, I should think it would be a real help,
auntie. She has so much care, you know. And if I got the meals for us
four, the cook could rest, too."

Aunt Madge only smiled at this.

There were five servants in all: John, the coachman; Nat, the
waiting-man; Mrs. Fixfax, the housekeeper; Rachel Fixfax, the
chambermaid; and Patty Diggles, the cook. They were all remarka