,
and no maid at all, you know, and we have awfully jolly times, really.
Mother is cook and she has a different scullery-maid for each meal. And
the rest of us divide up the rooms, and so on. The boys are great
workers, too. Even little Jack brings in kindlings and wipes the silver.
He plays the knives are men, and the forks their wives and the spoons
the little children."

"O, so did I, always," cried Catherine. "And it used to worry me
dreadfully not to know positively that the proper couples were together.
Once I tied them all neatly with different colored silks, but Mother
didn't approve. Through with the nuts so soon, Frieda? Then you can
begin on the sandwiches."

"Ach! The butter is too difficult!"

"Cream it, then. So!" and Alice illustrated. "I'll go to work on these,
too, while Hannah puts away the dishes, for I don't know where they
belong."

"All right," said Catherine. "But please don't talk, any of you, for a
few minutes. I don't want to lose a word that any of you say, and I'm
afraid the cake may suffer."

Dr. Helen stopped at the door and looked in at the group of silent
workers. They all threw her kisses, and she went smiling on her way.

"I wish I had four of my own," she thought to herself. "How the other
mothers must be missing them! Four more interesting and delightful girls
I never have known. Hannah has grown more mature since I saw her last,
and Frieda is distinctly unique. Alice is the kind you can tie to. But I
really think, without prejudice, my Catherine is a shade sweeter and
steadier and more responsible than all the rest!"

By five o'clock the house was all ready. The decorations were great
masses of goldenrod which Bert and Polly had gathered. Frieda had
suggested tying them with bows of red ribbon, whereat the others had
shrieked with horror and tried to Americanize her color sense a little.
She approved of the birthday cake, and was interested in the big tin
circle which held fifty candle-sockets, and would slip over the cake as
it rested on a tray. Winding this circle with smilax proved a task just
to Frieda's mind, and she worked at it with Hannah's help, while Alice
and Catherine planned the "recreation" for the evening.

"I'm so glad," said Catherine, stretching a little, "that we don't have
to get the Rest ready for them. Refreshments and Recreation are enough
to provide!"

"You need the Rest yourself," said Hannah. "I think it was a shame that
out-of-town call had to c