hat
pretty white birch bark to make picture frames for Christmas."

"I've got lovely pressed flowers to put on Christmas post-cards," said
Nan. "I'm going to mount them on plain white cards with little verses
written for each friend. Won't that be pretty?"

Then what a time there was packing up again! Of course Mrs. Bobbsey had
expected to go, and had most of the big things ready but the children
had so many souvenirs.

"John gave me this," cried Freddie, pulling a great big pumpkin in his
express wagon down to the house. "And I'm going to bring it to Aunt
Emily."

"Oh, how could we bring that!" protested Nan.

"In the trunk, of course," Freddie insisted.

"Well, I have to carry a box of ferns," said Flossie; "I'm going to
take them for the porch. There are no ferns around the salt water,
mamma says."

So each child had his or her own pet remembrances to carry away from
Meadow Brook.

"We had better go and invite the girls for this afternoon," Nan said to
Flossie.

"And we must look after the boys," Harry told Bert.

A short invitation was not considered unusual in the country, so it was
an easy matter to get all the children together in time for the
farewell lawn party.

"We all hope you will come again next year," said Mildred Manners. "We
have had such a lovely time this summer. And I brought you this little
handkerchief to remember me by." The gift was a choice bit of lace,
and Nan was much pleased to accept it.

"There is something to remember me by," said Mabel Herold, presenting
Nan with a postcard album.

The little girls brought Flossie a gold-striped cup and saucer, a set
of doll's patterns, and the dearest little parasol. This last was from
Bessie Dimple.

And Nettie brought--what do you think?

A little live duck for Freddie!

It was just like a lump of cotton batting, so soft and fluffy.

"We'll fatten him up for Christmas," laughed Bert, joking.

"No, you won't!" snapped Freddie. "I are going to have a little house
for him and a lake, and a boat--"

"Are you going to teach him to row?" teased Harry.

"Well, he can swim better than--than--"

"August Stout," answered Bert, remembering how August had fallen in the
pond the day they went fishing.

When the ice cream and cake had been served on the lawn, Mrs. Bobbsey
brought out a big round white paper pie. This she placed in the middle
of a nice clean spot on the lawn, and all around the pie she drew out
long white ribbons. On e