y breakfast dishes, where myriads
of flies were making a meal. A little baby with a pink nose and bald
head, was playing on the floor with a head-brush and a skillet; while a
boy, about Letty's age, was mopping out a sugar bowl with his fingers,
and two little girls, in yellow pantalettes and pink dresses, were
trying to hide away a dress cap of their mother's, which they had been
cutting up for their dollies. On a side table were Mr. Finley's
"shaving things," a dirty dickey, and sundry little bits of paper with
floating islands of soap-suds, left there by his razor.

"Well--here we are at last," said Mrs. Finley, fanning herself with a
great newspaper. "You see, Letty, there's plenty to do here. Now I'm
going up stairs, to put on a calico long-short, and take a nap; and you
are to wash these dishes, and put them in the closet; clear away the
table; sweep the room and dust it; wash these children's faces, and
keep them quiet; put some water in the tea-kettle and set it boiling;
tend the door, and keep a look out for the milk-man.

"Ma'am?" said Letty, looking bewildered.

"M-a-'a-m"--mocked Mrs. Finley, "where's your ears, child? let's see if
I can find 'em," and she gave Letty's little ear a smart pull.

"Please, ma'am, it is all so new to me," said Letty, trying to keep
from crying; "will you please tell me where to find the broom to sweep
with, or the water to wash the dishes, and which closet I am to put
them in, and where's the towel to wipe the children's faces?"

"Oh--my--senses!" said Mrs. Finley, "what a little fool;--use your eyes
a little more and your tongue less, and you'll find things, I guess;
and now let me see every thing right end up when I come down stairs.
_Do you hear?_"

"Yes, ma'am," said Letty, drawing a long sigh as Mrs. Finley closed the
door.

"Came from the poor-house, didn't you?" said Master John Finley,
cracking a whip over Letty's head. "Well, I'm glad you've come here at
any rate; I haven't known what to do with myself all vacation. It will
be prime fun, I'm thinking, to tease you, you little scared rabbit; and
I'll tell you, to begin with, that my name is Mr. John Finley, and that
I'm my mother's pet, and that whatever _I_ say is pretty likely to be
done in this house;--so you'd better be careful and keep on the right
side of me," said the wicked boy, as he gave her arm a knock, and sent
the waiter of dishes out of her hand upon the floor.

"Oh! Master John," said Letty; "see