h shining eyes. "I think that is a nice name."

"So do I," agreed Brother.

"I do, too," said Ralph. "And now you must get dressed if you are not
to be late for breakfast; and I must go down now--I have to take an
earlier train in."

"Won't you come to the party?" begged Sister, as Ralph stood up to go.

"Don't believe I'll be home in time," he answered. "But you can tell me
all about it and that will be almost as nice."

Mother Morrison came in to help them dress and she kissed Brother six
times because it was his birthday. He wore a new blue sailor suit, and
Sister put on her next-to-the-best hair-ribbon in his honor.

"I like birthdays," sighed Brother, slipping into his seat at the
breakfast table and eyeing the little heap of bundles at his plate with
great delight. "Look at my puppy dog, Dick."

"Well, that is a nice pup," admitted Dick, putting down his paper.
"Have you named him yet?"

"Name's Brownie--Betty thought of it," replied Brother. "Can he have
cereal, Mother? And Daddy wrote on this box, didn't he?" The little boy
picked up a box wrapped in paper.

"Now just a minute," said Mother Morrison firmly. "The dog can't eat at
the table, dear; put him down until you have finished breakfast. I
don't want you to open the parcels, either, until you have had your
milk and cereal. But those two on top you may open--they are from Daddy
and Dick and they're going to leave in ten minutes."

Brother opened the two packages eagerly. That from Daddy Morrison was a
little wooden block and a set of rubber type with an ink-pad, so that
Brother might play at printing. He knew his letters and, if someone
helped him, could spell a number of words. Dick's parcel contained a
little silver collar for the new puppy, so made that it could be made
larger for him as he grew.

"Oh, Dick!" Brother flung himself upon that pleased young man and
kissed him heartily. Somehow Brother seldom kissed Dick, although he
loved him dearly. "It's the nicest collar!"

"All right, all right," said Dick hastily. "Glad you like it. Coming,
Dad?"

Brother had to thank Daddy Morrison for his gift and kiss him good-bye,
and then the interrupted breakfast went on. As soon as they had all
finished, they gathered around Brother to watch him open his birthday
gifts.

CHAPTER VII

MORE PRESENTS

"With so many birthdays in one family, we must not give elaborate or
expensive presents ever," Mother Morrison had once said, and she had