k garden?"

"Yes; isn't it nice to see so many together?--and, Uncle Jack, why do
the big families always live in the small houses, and the small families
in the big houses? We ought to call them the Ruggles children, of
course; but Donald began talking of them as the 'Ruggleses in the rear,'
and Papa and Mamma took it up, and now we cannot seem to help it. The
house was built for Mr. Carter's coachman, but Mr. Carter lives in
Europe, and the gentleman who rents his place for him doesn't care what
happens to it, and so this poor family came to live there. When they
first moved in, I used to sit in my window and watch them play in their
back yard; they are so strong, and jolly, and good-natured;--and then,
one day, I had a terrible headache, and Donald asked them if they would
please not scream quite so loud, and they explained that they were
having a game of circus, but that they would change and play 'Deaf and
Dumb Asylum' all the afternoon."

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Uncle Jack, "what an obliging family, to be sure!"

"Yes, we all thought it very funny, and I smiled at them from the window
when I was well enough to be up again. Now, Sarah Maud comes to her door
when the children come home from school, and if Mamma nods her head,
'Yes,' that means 'Carol is very well,' and then you ought to hear the
little Ruggleses yell,--I believe they try to see how much noise they
can make; but if Mamma shakes her head, 'No,' they always play at quiet
games. Then, one day, 'Cary,' my pet canary, flew out of her cage, and
Peter Ruggles caught her and brought her back, and I had him up here in
my room to thank him."

"Is Peter the oldest?"

"No; Sarah Maud is the oldest--she helps do the washing; and Peter is
the next. He is a dress-maker's boy."

"And which is the pretty little red-haired girl?"

"That's Kitty."

"And the fat youngster?"

"Baby Larry."

"And that--most freckled one?"

"Now, don't laugh--that's Peoria."

"Carol, you are joking."

"No, really, Uncle dear. She was born in Peoria; that's all."

"And is the next boy Oshkosh?"

"No," laughed Carol, "the others are Susan, and Clement, and Eily, and
Cornelius; they all look exactly alike, except that some of them have
more freckles than the others."

"How did you ever learn all their names?"

"Why, I have what I call a 'window-school.' It is too cold now; but in
warm weather I am wheeled out on my balcony, and the Ruggleses climb up
and walk along our ga