er is a very old
friend of mine, though you have never seen her, and I have asked her to
let her little daughter come here for a visit. She is about Pennie's
age, and her name is Ethelwyn."

"What a long one!" said Nancy; "must we call her all of it?"

"I think it's a beautiful name," said Pennie. "Almost as good as
`Dulcibella.' And then we might call her `Ethel,' or `Winnie,' they're
both pretty."

"Well, you can settle that afterwards," said their mother. "You must
wait and see what she likes best to be called. And that reminds me to
say that I hope my children will be hospitable to their guest. Do you
know what that means?"

"I know," said Ambrose, gulping a piece of bread and butter very quickly
in his haste to be first. "Let _me_ say. It means taking care of
people when they're ill."

"Not quite right," said Mrs Hawthorn. "You are thinking of `hospital,'
which is a different thing, though both words come from the same idea;
can you tell, Pennie?"

"It means being kind, doesn't it?" said Pennie.

"It means something more than that. What do you say, Davie?"

"Always to give her the biggest piece," said David, with his eyes
thoughtfully fixed on the pile of bread and butter.

Nancy was then appealed to, but she always refused to apply her mind out
of lesson hours, and only shook her head.

"Well," said Mrs Hawthorn, "I think Davie's explanation is about the
best, for hospitality does mean giving our friends the best we have.
But it means something more, for you might give Ethelwyn the biggest
piece of everything, and yet she might not enjoy her visit at all. But
if you try to make her happy in the way _she likes best_, and consider
her amusement and comfort before your own, you will be hospitable, and I
shall be very pleased with you all. I expect, however, she will be
chiefly Pennie and Nancy's companion, because, as she has no brothers
and sisters, she may not care about the games you all play together.
She has not been used to boys, and might find them a little rough and
noisy."

Pennie drew herself up a little. It would be rather nice to have a
friend of her very own, and already she saw herself Ethelwyn's sole
support and adviser.

The children continued to ask questions until there was nothing else to
be learnt about Ethelwyn, and she was made the subject of conversation
after their mother left the room, and until tea was over. They made
various plans for the amusement of the expec