y it made the lonely old lady to live over her
past, and to have the children round her.

"Here are three drawers that have not been opened yet; each take one,
and choose something from it for me to tell about," said Madam, quite
excited at the unusual interest in her treasures.

So the girls each opened a drawer and turned over the contents till they
found something they wanted to know about. Maud was ready first, and
holding up an oddly shaped linen bag, with a big blue F embroidered on
it, demanded her story. Grandma smiled as she smoothed the old thing
tenderly, and began her story with evident pleasure.

"My sister Nelly and I went to visit an aunt of ours, when we were
little girls, but we did n't have a very good time, for she was
extremely strict. One afternoon, when she had gone out to tea, and old
Debby, the maid, was asleep in her room, we sat on the doorstep, feeling
homesick, and ready for any thing to amuse us.

"'What shall we do?' said Nelly.

"Just as she spoke, a ripe plum dropped bounce on the grass before us,
as if answering her question. It was all the plum's fault, for if it
had n't fallen at that minute, I never should have had the thought which
popped into my mischievous mind.

"'Let 's have as many as we want, and plague Aunt Betsey, to pay her for
being so cross,' I said, giving Nelly half the great purple plum.

"'It would be dreadful naughty,' began Nelly, 'but I guess we will,' she
added, as the sweet mouthful slipped down her throat.

"'Debby 's asleep. Come on, then, and help me shake,' I said, getting
up, eager for the fun.

"We shook and shook till we got red in the face, but not one dropped,
for the tree was large, and our little arms were not strong enough
to stir the boughs. Then we threw stones, but only one green and one
half-ripe one came down, and my last stone broke the shed window, so
there was an end of that.

"'It 's as provoking as Aunt Betsey herself,' said Nelly, as we sat
down, out of breath.

"'I wish the wind would come and blow 'em down for us,' panted I,
staring up at the plums with longing eyes.

"'If wishing would do any good, I should wish 'em in my lap at once,'
added Nelly.

"'You might as well wish 'em in your mouth and done with it, if you are
too lazy to pick 'em up. If the ladder was n't too heavy we could try
that,' said I, determined to have them.

"'You know we can't stir it, so what is the use of talking about it? You
proposed getting the