table to taste of a thing, and were almost distracted when they saw
every single crumb eaten up, and the plates nearly scraped into holes.

"Here is the portrait of the cook as she looked when the waiter brought
the beef-steak dish.

[Illustration]

"But when the poor man's pudding came in, smoking like a Turk, and
speckled in every direction with great black raisins, oh! then was the
time for bright looks! and when one little girl clapped her hands, and
exclaimed, 'My! that looks good!' all the rest laughed, and whisked
their heads round so, that it was quite fortunate their braids were fast
at one end, or they would have been shaken off up the chimney, and out
of the door, and nobody knows where else.

"The best thing was, that there was plenty of pudding, and the children
thought it was the very nicest they had ever eaten, particularly as the
maid brought to each one the bowl of powdered sugar--so that they might
_help themselves_ to as much as they liked--_that_ made a great
difference, I can tell you! and they showered down the sugar in grand
style--they put it on good and thick, just as much sugar as pudding, and
that was what made it so very nice; besides, Edith had whispered to her
mamma to give the company '_all the raisinest parts!!_ because that was
the way to be polite to company,' and so her mother did--and they had a
grand time picking out the raisins to eat by themselves--and the little
spoons went so fast, chopping at the pudding, and clicking on the
plates, that Edith's mother said it sounded like little stone-cutters at
work--at which they grew perfectly red in their faces laughing at
themselves.

"Didn't they have a fine time? I think so--and I laughed very
much--oh!--I mean, Edith's papa laughed, when he came home and heard
about the grand dinner-party, all out of one small beef-steak, and a
poor man's pudding. There! how do you like that story?"

"Oh, papa! _I_ know," exclaimed Bella, laughing, and patting his cheek.
"I found you out! it was sister Edith! wasn't it? Dear me! what a funny
girl! Did you ever!"

"Yes, it was her, and she was a funny girl--and you are a little
darling--and now, kiss papa, and run off to bed."

FIFTH LETTER.

"A LETTER for Miss Bella Curtis; two cents!" bawled the postman.

He was in a hurry this time, and Bella had to run so fast for the money,
that it was quite a wonder that she did not get thin after it--only she
laughed, too, just as much--and per