ergy in
making a noise.

Marcus heard somebody at the head of the stairs, and he looked up with
an expression of provoking mischief, as if ready to receive another
scolding from aunt Barbara. When he saw his mother's kind, pale face
bending towards him, he felt a little ashamed of the thoughtlessness
which had made him forget that her weak head might have suffered from
what he called his "fun."

"Well, Mother," he said looking up cheerfully, "how soon do you think
Hatty will come?"

"Not for an hour yet, my son," said the mother, kindly; "and, meanwhile,
I have something for you to do. I want you to sweep the pavement, from
the door-step to the gate, that it may look neat and tidy to Hatty when
she comes home."

"Here, Meg, you go get me a broom, and I'll set to work in a twinkling,"
said Marcus, jumping down from the balusters, with a deafening stamp of
his heavy shoes.

The sound seemed to touch every nerve in Mrs. Lee's head, and she drew
her eyebrows together with an expression of pain; but she only said,
quietly--"I must have a pair of slippers for you to wear in the house,
Marcus, and then you can take off your shoes, when you come in, as your
father does."

"O that will be first-rate," said Marcus, with delight. "I should like
dog's-heads for the pattern; won't you begin them to-day, Mother?"

"I will make them as soon as I can," said the mother, with a languid
smile.

Meg now came running along the hall, carrying the broom by the brush
end, while the handle went "knock, knock," along the floor, keeping time
to the skipping motion with which she generally moved.

Marcus seized the broom, and began to flourish it this way and that
way, across the wide pavement, as if he meant to be rapid, if not
particularly thorough, in his work.

"Now, Harry," said Mrs. Lee, quietly, "mother wants you to make a nice
fence with your blocks all round your playthings. Meg will get them for
you."

From a closet under the stairs Meg soon dragged out a box in which were
Harry's stores of blocks,--playthings of which he never tired, and which
never wore out.

The little fellow set to work very patiently; and then Mrs. Lee said,
"Come, Meg, I will take you with me." Meg gave her hand to her mother,
and skipped up the stairs, ready to take in good part anything that
should happen.

Mrs. Lee led her to a small room at the end of the hall, and said, "Now
listen to me, my little darling. You are to sleep in here with Hatt