lowance either," said the doctor quaintly, and
therewith the dinner concluded. There was apt to be a race between the
two eldest girls for the honour of bringing down the baby; but this time
their father strode up three steps at once, turned at the top of the
first flight, made his bow to them, and presently came down with his
little daughter in his arms, nodded triumphantly at the sisters, and set
her down on her mother's lap.

"There, Maggie, you are complete, you old hen-and-chicken daisy. Can't
you take her portrait in the character, Margaret?"

"With her pink cap, and Blanche and Aubrey as they are now, on each
side?" said Flora.

"Margaret ought to be in the picture herself," said Ethel. "Fetch the
artist in Norman's Lexicon, Harry."

"Since he has hit off one of us so well," said the doctor. "Well! I'm
off. I must see old Southern. You'll be ready by three? Good-bye, hen
and chicken."

"And I may have the spectacles?" said Ethel, running after him; "you
know I am an injured individual, for mamma won't let me carry baby about
the house because I am so blind."

"You are welcome to embellish yourself, as far as I am concerned."

A general dispersion ensued, and only Mrs. May, Margaret, and the baby,
remained.

"Oh, no!" sighed Margaret; "you can't be the hen-and-chicken daisy
properly, without all your chickens. It is the first christening we ever
had without our all being there."

"It was best not to press it, my dear," said her mother. "Your papa
would have had his thoughts turned to the disappointment again and it
makes Richard himself so unhappy to see his vexation, that I believe it
is better not to renew it."

"But to miss him for so long!" said Margaret. "Perhaps it is best, for
it is very miserable when papa is sarcastic and sharp, and he cannot
understand it, and takes it as meaning so much more than it really does,
and grows all the more frightened and diffident. I cannot think what he
would do without you to encourage him."

"Or you, you good sister," said her mother, smiling. "If we could only
teach him not to mind being laughed at, and to have some confidence in
himself, he and papa would get on together."

"It is very hard," cried Margaret, almost indignantly, "that papa won't
believe it, when he does his best."

"I don't think papa can bear to bring himself to believe that it is his
best."

"He is too clever himself to see how other people can be slow," said
Margaret; "and yet"--the