Seven Little Australians

onday M

ravelled portmanteau, and there were labels on them that sa

as she poured out the coffee. Pip had his hands in his pockets and stood on the hearthrug, looking gloomily at a certain plate, and refusing b

is doleful morning she had been obstinately uncaring. Her spirits had never seemed higher, her eyes brighter, her tongue sharper, than during that interval of

really be so cruel, that he did not really mean to send her away among strangers, away from dear, muddled old Misrule and all her sisters

r things and labelled with her name, a cold hand seemed to close about her hear

f poor Judy's sentence, but the Captain was adamant. It was she and she only who was always ringleader in everything; the others would behave when she was not there to incite them to mischief and go she should. Besides, he

n bed at the sight of E

gently. "But you'll go like a brave girl, won't you, Ju

in her throat, and her poor li

" she said, in a voice that, only shook a little; "and plea

on the pillow, and with one loving b

er both their heads, and held him in a fierce, almost desperate clasp for a minute or

ngry scream, to being suffocated. So she flung back the clothes and got out of bed, leavi

hers were here, and, with Esther, were evidently discussing her. The three girls looked tearful and protesting; Pip had just been brought to book for speaking disrespectf

a person not to be lightly treated in the dignity of this great trouble. Her dress, too, was quite new-a neat blue serge fresh from the dressmaker's hands; her boots were blacked and bright, her stockings guilt

ung on her arm sobbing. This destroyed the balance of the whole company. Nell got the other arm and swayed to and fro in an excess of misery. Meg's tears rained

regarding it with an expression of utter despair on her young face. S

ucer to keep the flies out, and solemnly left the room. In a minute

most reckless sadness. "It'll, keep you amused, perhaps, at school." Self-s

acelet, plaited out of the hair of a defunct pet pony. Pip gave his three-bladed pocketknife. Nell a pot of musk th

ng voice, and deeply touched by these gifts. "Oh! and, Bunty, dear! put a cork

take c-c-care of it, w-won't you,

ogcart is round," she said. "Are you ready, Ju, dea

loves into her hand. She submitted to being kissed by the whole family, to be half carried downstairs by Esther, to be kissed again

, looking down at the group on the veranda with eyes that were absolutely tragic in

lf, too?"-there were great tears glistening in his wife's beautiful eyes. "Upon my soul, one would th

broke from Jud

ver do another thing to vex you; and yo

and she bit her poor quivering lip till

in a chorus from the veranda. And, "Let her stay, John, PLEASE

e dogcart and seized the reins

horoughly good home, I've paid a quarter in advance already,

in a minute the dogcart had flashed out of the ga