o take some of the small people home, and Jim
obligingly offered his escort. It had not been so _very_ babyish.

Ben wrapped his little sister up "head and ears," and ran home with her.
How the stars sparkled!

"It's been just splendid!" she said to her mother. "Don't you think I
might have a party some time, and Ben and all of us?"

"Next winter, may be."

Her father looked up from his paper and smiled. She seemed to have grown
taller. What if, some day, he should lose his little girl!

The very next day Mr. Whitney announced that he was going to take the
Deans and their cousins and Nora to the Museum. He wanted the little
girl to go with them. Delia was visiting in Philadelphia. He promised,
laughingly, to have them all home in good season.

CHAPTER XIII

NEW RELATIONS

New Year's Day was gayer than ever. The streets were full of throngs of
men in twos up to any number, and carriages went whirling by. There were
no ladies out, of course. Margaret had two of her school friends
receiving with her, one a beautiful Southern girl whose father was in
Congress, and who was staying on in New York, taking what we should call
a post-graduate course now, perfecting herself in music and languages.
Margaret was a real young lady now. Joe had taken her to several
parties, and there had been quite a grand reception at the Beekmans'.

The little girl was dressed in her blue cashmere and a dainty white
Swiss apron ornamented with little bows like butterflies. Miss Butler
thought she was a charming child. She stood by the window a good deal,
delighted with the stir and movement in the street, and she looked very
picturesque. Her hair, which was still light, had been curled all round
and tied with a blue ribbon instead of a comb. Her mother said "it was
foolishness, and they would make the child as vain as a peacock." But I
think she was rather proud of the sweet, pretty-mannered little girl.

There was one great diversion for her. About the middle of the afternoon
two gentlemen called for her father. One was quite as old, with a
handsome white beard and iron-gray hair, very stylishly dressed. He wore
a high-standing collar with points, and what was called a neckcloth of
black silk with dark-blue brocaded figures running over it, and a
handsome brocaded-velvet vest, double-breasted, the fashion of the
times, with gilt buttons that looked as if they were set with diamonds,
they sparkled so. Over all he had worn a long