At the Little Brown House

waking sunbeams stole into the heart of each round drop and nestled there; the fresh, cool air was sweet with the breath of a thousand flowers; a beauti

f trying to coax the dreamers to arise and behold the beauties of the dawning day. In the barn-yards of the little farms scattered arou

. The door slammed at the green house on the farm adjoining, from the little red cottage across the fields came the sound of a busy ax, and down by the creek some early riser whistled merrily as he went about his morning work. All this old Towzer heard, and strolling back to his place on the porch, he looked up at

blinking sleepily, but eager with excitement. "Oh, Peace," whispered the oldest of

first speaker. "You know Gail never'd l

ally examining the trees and porch-roof, and then lifting her great, b

ful heavy. Get your clothes on, Allee, or Gail will

er where a struggling tangle of clothes, hand

rections in sharp, imperative whispers, Peace led the way into the hall, leaped onto the banisters, boy-fashion, and slid quickly, quietly to the floor below, where she waited in a fever of imp

led close in the darkest cor

n came the ca

eir giggles, but Gail was evidently satisfied, for she did not repeat her summons; and after another moment of hushed waiting, the half-dre

raced madly along the dusty road until a thick hedge of sumac and hazel bushes hid them from the little brown house. Then Pea

es as her older sisters dragged her along between them, "my dress is comi

over humps and hollows of the rough road-way, and stopped so abruptly that her companions were thrown headlong into the dust, creating such a commotion that a weary slumberer on the opposite side of the thicket was rudely startled out of his

o fast. S'posing you had been a train and tumbled into the ditch! Reckon all your passengers would have got a good jolt. I stopped so's we c

ckings at all," retorted the first

your dress is done. Fasten up your shoes while I put on my stockings. We'll have

ing caught a glimpse of them. But he was now thoroughly awake, and as soon as the steps died away in the distance, he rose from his bed among the leaves, shook out his gray blankets, rolled an

ng great, smoky, sooty cities? You little creek, you sang me to sleep last night. Wish I could take you back home with me. What a pretty flower! Little bird, you will split your throat if you try to pour

lly, "Yes, here is the bridge and there is the sun. Oh, just l

startled tramp recognized as belonging to Peace; "and we could have

esses wet and rumpled, shoes soaked and muddy, but literally loaded down with masses of late columbine and s

self at Peace's supposition and Cherry's horrified exclamation, "Why, Peace Greenfiel

ving hungry, and it does take so long for the girls to cook pancakes in our little frying pan. Hurry up! It must be

gested Allee. "That will

uets flapping wildly in the wind, the trio sped swiftly out

wash and be moving on in search of a breakfast

n handkerchief, and running his fingers through his bushy gray hair in place of a comb. His toilet done, he set out brisk

stopping. The next house was deserted, the door of the third place was slammed in his face before he could even make known his wants

lls are comi

s are comin'

d so close by, that the tramp stopped in his t

h away!" he ejaculated, hurrying forward once more. "The vo

re-legged girl in a soiled, damp frock, superintending the drying of three pair of mud-covered shoes arranged in a row on t

S'posing we have to go barefooted, and this the last day of the term! Cherry, you'v

e's b

make such little, stingy bunches of violets. We picked plenty. I can't coax your toes to shine,

My old pair is all wo

of her eyes, wheeled about on her perch, surveyed the man with big, almost somber, brown eyes, and poured forth an avalanche of que

tramp managed to stammer. "Co

reply. "We don't b'lieve in feeding beggars, but

grown-up tone and manner, but he answered with seeming meekness

be trained up on strings 'round the porches, and there are all the flower beds to be weeded, this grass needs cutting, and the roof of the hen house has to be fixed so's it won't

took advantage of the pause to say, "Whi

m, of course! You don't expect us to give you breakfast unless you do s

you better find out what your ma wa

romptly. "But I will ask Gail. She will

tramp a few moments before, but a very sober-faced, dejected-looking child, who twisted her dress into knots with nervous fingers, and at length stammered in embarrassed tones, "Gail says you can have some breakfast if you will split a little wood for her first, but she says it is a nimposition

sn't got it in the meadow, or it isn't in the shed or the barn. I'll come out and tell you when to quit. Yes, Faith I am hurrying! Be sure you cut a lot, 'cause-" The voice trailed aw

s down the worker's crimson face. At last he paused a moment to rest his back and wipe the moisture from his hot forehead, and as he drew his handkerchief

le and there wasn't hardly any split. Faith said she bet you would do the same way, but I watched you from the window, while Cherry and me were washing the dishes, and you never tried to hide a hole in the middle at all. He

e anyone. Faith is cross every time she makes a cake. You might have eaten in the kitchen if it hadn't been for that. She sends us all out-doors when she is baking, so's we won't make her cakes fall. She does make fine things, though! Um! but they are good! Never mind, the kitchen is

aying gratefully, "This will do nicely, thank you. What a fine breakfast you have brought me! Gail must be a go

kfast enough and that you might get hungry before noon, so when she wasn't looking I put on a whole lot of extra

on in the big, brown eyes of his small hostess, he laughed heartily and said, "Never mind, little girl! I'm

e before. They always shovel in their food with their knives, but you use your fork. You can work, too.

at the child's keen observations. Then he answered, lightly,

see why they all can't have vacations like we do

nd the kids gathere

o be whipped and sent to bed. Faith is real ugly when she's making cakes. We did get awfully wet,-I had no notion it would be so bad. But we got the flowers anyway. We made some baskets yesterd

lled with dog-tooth violets and drank in its perfume with the delight of a child. "What would

failing to understand what connection her

-yes, they sometimes sell cowslips and wood violets, but only in bunches-never in such cunning little baskets. Why, tucked down in that dam

in Martinda

om the woods, and lots of people w

to start! Do you want to be

ve got if it hadn't been for me-and a few matches. Promise you won't light a fire till you get a long way from our house, will you? Gail won't give tramps matches for fear they will set the buildings on fire. And say, the lawn-mower is right beside the front porch, if you should happen to want to cut the grass-just the little piece fenced in, you know. The rest is for