at did not trouble Francie. "Why, he can have my brown suit,
can't he, mother? I'd just as soon."

The next day mother took Francie down to see Mrs. Lugi. Little Rafael
was shy at first, but he soon got over it and was friendly as could
be. The little black-eyed Italian mother was very glad to see them.

"I like Rafael go the Christ-church," she said. "I use go myself,
home--Italy."

The brown suit, too small for Francie, was just right for Rafael, and
it would have been hard to find two happier little boys than Francie
and his fish when they walked into the Primary class together.

Rafael clapped his hands with the rest when Miss Florence pinned the
fish in the river and the red tag on Francie's blouse.

[Illustration: Miss Florence pinned the fish in the river and the red
tag on Francie's blouse.]

And what do you think? Out in the big room there were two more new
fish, one in Mother Fisher's class and one in Father Fisher's. They
were Mr. Lugi and the little Italian mother, come to Sunday-school
with their little boy.

"Really and truly," Francie said, "seem's if I caught three fish
'stead of one."

"Really and truly," said Mother Fisher, "I think you did."

* * * * *

"ALL BY HERSELF."

The older children were gone out for the day: mamma was busy in the
sewing room with Miss Fay: Molly was doing the Saturday baking. "What
could Alice do all by herself?"

This was the very question that popped into the wee girl's own head,
and she trotted off to ask mamma.

"Here's I," she said, at the sewing room door. "Here's I, all by
myself. What's I goin' do, mamma?"

"Going to be mamma's good little daughter and amuse yourself this
morning without help from anybody. See how busy I am."

"Everybody's busy that isn't gone way off," said Alice dolefully.

"Well, then," said mamma. "Alice must be busy, too, taking care of
herself and making her own good times. See how well she can do it.

"But first of all," mamma went on, "think what you would like to do or
to have me get for you, and I'll stop a minute now for that, so as to
start you."

This was an important thing to decide, so Alice went into the next
room and sat down in her kindergarten chair before her table, to think
it out. She folded her arms and sat still about a minute: then she ran
to mamma, exclaiming. "I know now, please get me my snub scissors" (of
course she meant round-pointed) "and some bright paper, and I'l