ated themselves in the parlour, I used to carry my little
stool in and sit down in one corner to listen.

"One autumn it happened that for several reasons mother had had no
invited company for weeks. I was hungry for some of the tarts and
marmalade that I knew would appear if the guests would only arrive, and
one night a plan came into my head that seemed to me so clever that I
could hardly wait for morning to come, in order that I might carry it
out.

"Mother sent me on an errand to the village store next day, and on the
way I stopped at the doctor's house. I could scarcely reach the great
brass knocker on the front door, but when I did, standing on tiptoe, it
sent such a loud clamour through the house that my heart jumped up in my
throat, and I was minded to run away. But before I could do that the
doctor's wife opened the door. I made my best courtesy that mother had
carefully taught me, and then was so embarrassed I could not lift my
eyes from the ground. When I spoke, my voice sounded so meek and shy and
high up in the air that I scarcely recognised it as mine.

"'Mrs. Mayfair, please come to tea to-morrow,' I said. Then I courtesied
again, and hurried off, while Mrs. Mayfair was calling after me to tell
my mother that it gave her great pleasure to accept her invitation. But
you see it wasn't mother's invitation. I didn't say '_mother_ says
please come to tea,' I just asked them to come of my own accord, in a
fit of reckless daring, and then waited to see what would happen. I
invited nearly all the Dorcas Society."

"And what happened?" asked the Little Colonel, eagerly.

Mrs. Brewster laughed at the remembrance, such a contagious, hearty
laugh, that her bonnet-ribbons shook.

"I never said a word about it at home, but next day, a little while
before sundown, I went to the window to watch for them. Mother, who had
been busy all day, boiling cider and making apple-butter, sat down with
her knitting to rest a few minutes before supper. She said she was
tired, and that she would not cook much; that mush and milk would be
enough.

"She couldn't imagine what had happened when all the ladies appeared,
and she sent me to open the door while she hurried to change her dress.
I followed the usual programme; invited them into the guest-chamber to
lay aside their wraps and mantles, and then gave them seats in the
parlour. Mother was puzzled when she came in and saw them with their
bonnets off, for she supposed, when sh