d
assist my friends when misfortune overtook them."

"Hear! hear!" cried Charlie.

"I had the nicest little plan to propose," she went on.

"What was it, Sue?" said Charlie, whose curiosity was aroused.

"Not a word more to one so ungallant, so very rude."

"Ah, Sue dear," coaxed Charlie, coming down and putting his arm around
her, "you are the nicest little sister in the world, if you did want to
box my ears. Now tell us the plan, that's a darling."

"Well, it isn't much, after all; it is only that I want to make
Thanksgiving a little more of a reality, and I thought--now, Charlie,
don't laugh at me--that if we could do something for somebody, which
would make him thankful, wouldn't it be nicer."

"And who did you think of?"

"I thought of old black Betsey and her husband, they both are so old and
so poor. Suppose we give them a dinner?"

"All by ourselves? Where would we get the money?"

"We will have an exhibition of cats. I will borrow Aunt May's old tabby,
and John's big Tom, and Lulie Bell's five white kittens, and we have our
own, and you can get others, and we will rig up a room in the barn, and
put placards up, and I will tie bright ribbons on all their necks, and
we'll charge ten cents for grown people and five cents for children,
and--oh, I don't know what else."

"Splendid!"

The idea suited Charlie, and no time must be lost. Every day was
valuable. Mother was consulted, and had no objections. Father gave
permission to use the harness-room. The cats were borrowed: big cats and
little cats, sleepy old pussies and lively young kits, gray cats, white
cats, and "cherry-colored cats," as the placard read. "For one day
only," was also on the placard. Charlie was door-keeper, and a busy time
had Sue in keeping peace among the pussies. They screamed and scratched,
and kept up a perfect _Pinafore_ chorus, until the child wished she was
deaf, or could give them all opium; but the day wore on, and all the
children of their acquaintance enjoyed the sport, and not a few of the
elders looked in upon them. By evening Charlie was rejoicing in the
possession of a full money-box, but his face grew long as he counted the
pennies. In reply to Sue's eager query of "How much?"

"Only two dollars and a half," was his dejected reply.

"Well, we can buy lots of things with that," said Sue, whose knowledge
of marketing was limited.

"I am afraid it will take all for the turkey."

"Then we'll get chickens," said Su