ance of
Annie, the children began the play of housekeeping, because Prudy could
join in it. Susy found she enjoyed any amusement much more when it
pleased the little invalid.

"I will be the lady of the house," said Annie, promptly, "because I have
rings on my fingers, and a coral necklace. My name is Mrs. Piper.
Prudy,--no, Rosy,--you shall be Mrs. Shotwell, come a-visiting me;
because you can't do anything else. We'll make believe you've lost your
husband in the wars. I know a Mrs. Shotwell, and she is always
_taking-on_, and saying, 'My poor dear husband,' under her handkerchief;
just this way."

The children laughed at the nasal twang which Annie gave to the words,
and Prudy imitated it to perfection, not knowing it was wrong.

"Well, what shall I be?" said Susy, not very well pleased that the first
characters had been taken already.

"O, you shall be a hired girl, and wear a handkerchief on your head,
just as our girl does; and you must be a little deaf, and keep saying,
'What, ma'am?' when I speak to you."

"And I," said Florence, "will be Mr. Peter Piper, the head of the
family."

"Yes," returned Annie, "you can put on a waterproof cloak, and you will
make quite a good-looking husband; but I shall be the head of the family
myself, and have things about as I please!"

"Well, there," cried Flossy, slipping her arms into the sleeves of her
cloak, "I don't know about that; I don't think it's very polite for you
to treat your husband in that way."

Flossy wanted to have the control of family matters herself.

"But I believe in 'Woman's Rights,'" said Annie, with a toss of the
head, "and if there's anything I despise, it is a _man_ meddling about
the house."

Here little Dotty began to cause a disturbance, by sticking a
fruit-knife into the edges of the "what-not," and making a whirring
noise.

"I wouldn't do so, Dotty," said Susy, going up to her; "it troubles us;
and, besides, I'm afraid it will break the knife."

"I don't allow my hired girl to interfere with my children," said
Annie, speaking up in the character of Mrs. Piper; "I am mistress of the
house, I'd have you to know! There, little daughter, they shan't plague
her; she shall keep on doing mischief; so she shall!"

Dotty needed no coaxing to keep on doing mischief, but hit the musical
knife harder than ever, giving it a dizzy motion, like the clapper in a
mill.

Prudy was quite annoyed by the sound, but did not really know whether to
be