The House That Grew

ly did. But that night it would not have been very surprising if I had kept awake and even got into a tossing-abou

as that time of early morning when one almost fancies that sun and moon stop a moment or two to say a word to each other on their way, though of course I know enough astronomy now to understand that those fancies are only fancies. And yet there is a kind of truth in them, for the sun and moon, and the stars too, have to do with all of us people living on this earth; indeed, we owe everything

e. On the contrary, I grew awaker and awaker, as I began to feel that my min

was

there jumbled up together the day before. And when I got clear hold of what it was, I nearly called out, I felt so struck and startled at first, just as if some one h

as t

hildren-why should we not live altogether at the hut during

ld idea that had thus come to me. But 'the proof of the pudding is in the eat

he many-coloured skeins of silk in the pretty fairy story where the touch of the wand made them all arrange themselves. Still more-no sooner had the first vague thought

ough to home-dear Eastercove-indeed, it would be Eastercove-for us to take lots of furniture and things from the house to furnish as much more as was needed and to make it comfortable and even pretty, without emptying Eastercove house at all. There was, as I have said, such a lot of stored-away extra furniture and old carpets and curtains an

r. Lloyd had told papa about the afternoon before! They wanted to get rid of it and would sell it for almost nothing. Even if 'almost nothing' meant-I could not guess how much or how little-a few pounds, perha

rry to tell Geordie of the wonderful thought that had come to me. But it was still far from getting-up time; I knew it would be very selfish and unkind to wake up poo

THING FOR IT BU

interesting to watch the light growing stronger and changing; it was already doing so

in its tone than the fu

t and passed each other by now,

t I was going to wonder! In spite of all my eagerness and exciteme

carcely find it in my heart to awake you. But it's Sunday morning, and you kno

rcely belie

awake a good bit quite early, and I had no idea

e time I was dressed, even though Sunday morning dressing needed a little more care and attention than

g of getting up promptly and being down the first after me

hould say' gazing,' for staring is an ugly word, and the garden that morning was looking so particularly pretty-'

at the clock on

ve minutes, or ten perhaps.

and hope it is something that will please you very much. You are to listen well and not in

often guess what he is thinking of. He has such dear blue eyes, but they are the kind that can look very melancholy sometimes. I do hope he will have a happy life when he grows up-I am pretty sure he wi

I can help it,' he answered, with a little

e splendid ideas and good reasons and perhapses-one on the top of the other, so that if he hadn't been pretty well accustomed to my ways he could scarcely have understood. It was quite i

on't think any one else's skirts move so nicely; they seem to match her, not like that noisy flustering that is li

ink a lot and then we'll talk about

ods, not to think of it in church-part of the time, at least. I don't see that it would matte

said, and then we both r

very sad or dull. I think she had been afraid that in his wish to help her, pa

y own brave boy and girl,' and I am almost sure th

glanced out of the window. 'I am so glad. We must put car

and, 'yes, we are going to have a nice day. Geordie and I'-I glanced at him; he had not exactly said so, but I knew he would not mind,-'Geordie and

ed! But these solemn kinds of 'perhapses' are always in our lives, and if we were always thinking of them, it would be more than our minds and hearts could bear. We should not forget them, but I am sure we are not meant to be gloomy about them. Still,

ught he looked more tired and troubled than mamma-men are not so patient and n

ur brightness made it easier for mamma to be, at least, less

kes our idea, and I really can't

, Dods and I went off for a talk. How we did talk! But first of all-that

longer; it always takes you twenty minutes or half an hour to get dressed for church, and you know it vexes papa to

aid; 'I promise

w; we kept thinking of new bits to it, each saying something which made the other think of som

an in was about a certain old breakfast set of chin

ully. It wouldn't matter their being odd, for then mamma wouldn't mind if s

I saw that she was just coming out of the drawing-room on her way upstairs to get rea

red, though I don't think she noticed it; 'they are all right-none broken, an

with a little sigh, 'not

her of the plan at once! But of c

was saying the responses quite correctly, and any one noticing me would very likely have thought I was being quite good and listening rightly. Dods, whom I glanced at now and then, was looking very gr

rooms-the old parish room, I mean. What do you think, Ida-

hen, must be the dining-room, and the big dressing-room, the one we have always meant to be a real bedroom, must be the drawing-room. It is quite a nice, large room, an

e, 'you're forgett

to the hut that afternoon. We could not talk much before then, as we drove back fro

and what's more, Geordie, I haven't the least id

be one, anyway. Still-it's a pity we can't propose some place for the

s all finished found he had forgotten a staircase!' I said

the hut by this time, and he did not say anything till we had

ad left it the evening before, but

house or play-room-to-day it was a possible home. In some ways I felt as if I had never liked it as much; in others I began t

ts, Ida. Of course papa and mamma must settle everything; but if they do take it up seriously and papa buys the iron room, I rather think it's a good deal larger than we have been

room for Hoskins and whomever else we have-I should like Margery-woul

rdie. 'And you must talk quietly, Ida, so as to show we hav

ittle ruff

nt any of the honour and glory of it, and if there is any fear of their t

you deserve a lot of credit for it. And I expect you'll get it too. I only wan

e old Dods as you always are. And see what I have got

'the dining-room' now-and everything nice and ready before they all came. The first announcement of them was

how delicious the hut looks. Oh, don't y

a and mamma-they had walked down slowly through the wood, and as they came to the little 'plateau' where stood the hut, I saw them stop and look at