ot particularly generous just for all to
give things round in a circle."

"Well, we've done plenty for the ragged schools this year," said Nina,
reviewing the row of dolls in their pretty bright frocks, the wool
balls, the knitted reins, and the scrapbooks which formed the
contribution of the class. "They'll look splendid hanging on the
tree."

"I wish we could go and see the treat," said Sylvia.

"Miss Kaye won't let us do that," replied Linda. "She's afraid we
might catch measles or chicken-pox."

"I always go to our treats at home," said Jessie Ellis.

"Your father's a clergyman, so you're sure to," said Marian. "We do
sometimes, to the Scholars' Tea or the Congregational Teaparty.
Gwennie and I help to pass cups and hand the cake, while Mother pours
out."

"Let us tell what we're each going to do in the holidays," said Hazel.
"You go on, Marian, as you've begun. Don't you have anything but
school treats?"

"Of course we do," answered Marian. "We go on New Year's Eve to our
grandfather's, and have a big family party with all our cousins.
Everybody has to play a piece, or recite poetry, or do something, and
it's ever so jolly. We sit up till midnight, and bring in the New
Year. And we go skating with our brothers, and slide on the pond, and
if there's any snow we toboggan down the hill on teatrays and have
snowball fights with some boys who live near. It's great fun."

"Yes, lovely fun!" echoed Gwennie.

"I go to so many parties!" said Hazel. "I always have three or four a
week, and we give a dance ourselves too. Last year I went to the
Mayor's Children's Fancy Ball. I was dressed as a Dresden china
shepherdess, with a flowered skirt and a laced bodice and paniers, and
a big hat, and a crook in my hand. It's only to be a plain ball this
Christmas. Then there are the pantomimes; we generally go to two and
sometimes to the circus as well, and any concerts or entertainments
that may happen to be on. Now, Connie, it's your turn to say."

"There are so many of us," began Connie, "Mother says it's like a
party to see us all sitting round the table. We play games amongst
ourselves, and get up acts and charades. We have a huge room at the
top of the house, where we may make as much noise and mess as we like.
Sometimes the boys give a magic-lantern show up there, or make shadow
pictures. And Bertie has a lathe, and turns all kinds of jolly things
in it out of pieces of wood; and he helps us to build boats; and we