roper form, and put it into the spider. Then more than all the
rest, Mary Bell liked to _bake_ a spider cake. She used to
take great pleasure in carrying the cake in her two hands to the
fire-place, and laying it carefully in its place in the spider, and
then setting it up before the fire to bake, lifting the spider by
the end of the tail. She also took great satisfaction afterward in
watching it, as the surface which was presented toward the fire became
browned by the heat. When it was sufficiently baked upon one side it
had to be turned, and then set up before the fire again, to be baked
on the other side; and every part of the long operation was always
watched by Mary Bell with great interest and pleasure.

Mary Erskine consented to Mary Bell's proposal in respect to
breakfast, and for an hour Mary Bell was diligently employed in making
the preparations.

[Illustration: MARY BELL GETTING BREAKFAST.]

She put the potatoes in the bed which Mary Erskine opened for them in
the ashes. She rolled out the spider cake, and put it into the spider;
she spread the cloth upon the table, and took down the plates, and
the cups and saucers from the cupboard, and set them in order on the
table. She went down into the little cellar to bring up the butter.
She skimmed a pan of milk to get the cream, she measured out the tea;
and at last, when all else was ready, she took a pitcher and went
down to the spring to bring up a pitcher of cool water. In all these
operations Bella accompanied her, always eager to help, and Mary Bell,
knowing that it gave Bella great pleasure to have something to do,
called upon her, continually, for her aid, and allowed her to do
every thing that it was safe to entrust to her. Thus they went on very
happily together.

At length, when the breakfast was ready they all sat down around the
table to eat it, except the baby. He remained in the trundle-bed,
playing with his play-things. His play-things consisted of three or
four smooth pebble stones of different colors, each being of about the
size of an egg, which his mother had chosen for him out of the
brook, and also of a short piece of bright iron chain. The chain was
originally a part of a harness, but the harness had become worn out,
and Albert had brought in the chain and given it to the baby. The baby
liked these play-things very much indeed,--both the pebbles and the
chain. When he was well, and neither hungry nor sleepy, he was never
tired of playin