to
me to carry him as soon as I get home from school."

"Such a big boy as Hans ought to be able to go alone by this time, and
then there is the baby besides; how do you manage to do it all, Elsli?"

"Oh, Hans is in a dreadful way if I take the baby; he screams and kicks
as hard as he can, and then his mother hears him, and she comes running
in, and says that she can't have such a noise, and I mustn't let the
children scream so. So I have to put the baby into the cradle to quiet
Hans, and then I rock the cradle with my foot to quiet the baby."

"Come into the house, Elsli," said the doctor's wife; "you look very
tired. Hans, if you will get down and come into the house yourself, you
shall have a piece of bread and an apple. Come."

"If you won't come," said her sister, "you can stay here, while Rudi and
Heili come with me and get bread and apples. They can walk, without
hanging on to Elsli's skirts and tearing her to pieces. Come, boys!"

The two boys did not need urging, but followed their kind friend into
the house. And even obstinate little Hans understood what bread and
apple meant; when his sister put him down on his feet, he made no
resistance, but, taking her hand, stumped along into the house without a
word. Fred followed them, switching a willow wand, as if to suggest the
most efficient method of teaching Hans to walk by himself. When they
reached the dining-room, the boys opened their eyes wide to see the big
loaf from which Mrs. Stein cut each a slice, and they were not slow in
setting their teeth into the rosy apples, of which each had one for his
own. Elsli too had an apple and a slice of bread.

Elsli explained that she had come to get the clothes which Mrs. Stein
had told her father to send for.

"You cannot carry them, my child," said Mrs. Stein, "it is enough for
you to take the boys home. Tell your mother that I have something to say
to her; and when she comes to see me, she can carry the clothes home."

"Don't you care to eat the bread and apple, Elsli?" asked the aunt,
noticing that the girl put the apple into her pocket, and held the bread
in her hand.

Elsli blushed, as if she were guilty of a breach of good manners, and
said, timidly:--

"I should like to take them home to Fani; he will not get any supper
to-night."

"It is very nice of you to take it to him," said Mrs. Stein kindly, "but
why will he not have his supper?"

"We have done supper at home, and we ate up everything, all t