We Girls: a Home Story

ough Barbara had had the first thought of it; for Rosamond quietly took the management of all

the delicious coffee; all together we gave all sorts of pleasant touches to the brown room, and set the round table (the old cover could be "shied" out of sight

d; and the rolls and the thin strips of tongue cut lengthwise, so rich and tender that a fork could manage them, and

ld give the guests tea and coffee, and Ruth and Barbara would sit in the window-seats

lf her regular work, felt as if she had somehow done wonders without realizin

he tea was t

ventions for the joyful acceptance of believers, who may by no means invent in their turn and offer to the Council. One could ha

had offered to do that once for Mrs. Holabird, when her husband had had an interest in a

very self; but she had her little quiet instincts of holdin

en having a good time? We should not tell you if we did not know; it begins right the

ll that was shabby or inadequate, for a few special hours, and turning all the family resources upon a point, to serve an occasion. But if anything new or bright were so produced that could be transplanted, it was so easy to receive it among the established and every-day

receive both hands full of the gayly wreathed and knotted hoops, to hold them slidden along one arm like garlands, to pass them lightly from hand to hand again, a

king it, for it was a game with an origin and references. It was an officers' game,

here coffee and biscuits began to be fragrant, Rosamond knew that her party was as nice as if it had been anybod

ery different from hands like Mrs. Holabird's and her daughters, than f

d changing shade, and the slow forth-coming of the stars: and Ruth gave them music, and by and by they had a little German, out there on the long, wide esplanade. It

a centre than our home, cheery and full of girl-l

nsplant Harry Goldthwaite and Dakie Thayne. They would come over, nearly every day, at morning or evening, and practise "coil," or make some other p

often; Rosamond grew v

re slightly mistaking their position"; but the remark did not come round,

all this that Ruth astonished

gesting something utterly incongruous and disastrous, "th

aites'. The Haddens would stay over night at the Marchbanks', and on through the next day, and over night again. There were, indeed, three recognized degrees of intimacy: that which took tea,-that which came in of a morning and stayed to lunch,-and that wh

"that we could have

amond, startled into a s

she'd like it,

it' too," responded Rose, in a deadly quie

nd suggested, not having thought of it before, and not quite

was giving herself the luxury of some pretty knitting,-making a bright little sofa affghan. R

-and spoke again. "I don't believe," she said, "

perceptible line or two. "Do you think people

be somebody's fault if t

next thing," said Dakie Thayne. "Army men

ve it at a time," said Ruth.

onally," said Barbara. "Next th

nal. "I suppose people wouldn't naturally-it can't be meant

d, only a little singl

ayne lea

ou please,-

the opportunities d

, on the Westover lawn. A plan was discussed. Mrs. Van Alstyne had walked

hen a meeting, for this and the archery you wanted to get

not meant to launch the project here. Everyt

e Thayne

that?" said he. "I

t," said Adelaide Marchbanks. "

out already? It is only to organ

a place like this. A dozen of us are not enough, and as soon as you go

, in such a purely bright, good-natur

it. You don't go straight on, you know, house by house,

ot as far as the Hobarts." There Olivia sto

be sure to like it," said Leslie

st like yours," said Daki

her an especially quick pulse of pleasure to have Dakie Thayne say so.

now!" said Adelaide Marchbanks,

" asked Cadet T

cisely, looking straight fo

ighborhood, and then it has to be Christian charity in the neighborhood that didn't ask them to pick them up. Mamma called, after a while; and Mrs. Hobart said she hoped she woul

said Dakie Thayne, wi

y held right back, awfully stiff, and couldn't find anything else to say than,-out quite loud, across everyth

ow," said Har

den. "I think they really felt badly; and that was why

d one doesn't want to be asto

good-naturedly. "They are kind-hearted peop

t is just what the neighborhood is getting to be,-f

eed to go out of our

ar! O

she was Ruth, sometimes, for a moment. It had been growing in her, from the beginning of the conversation; and now she caught her breath, and felt her eyes

said that before they

grew frightened; but she stood just so, and would not let her lo

oke the pause with

me," she said. "And we don't quite set up

for her; and presently she was tossing them with her peculiar grace, till the stake was all wreathed with them from bottom to top, the last

been for Mrs. Van Alstyne, Ruth's speech would have broken up the p

aid to Leslie Goldthwaite, "I must go now; I ought to have gone

across the grounds, so that she thought they were going

ed in her mind. "I could not help it; but

o stands to his gun in the front," sa

hat I had said," Ruth answered. "And t

eslie. It was just on the co

one flash. It would have spo

n't know how," said Ruth. "I'm sure

nd out these mistakes in a little while, just as they find out fashions: picking up the right things from people who do know how. It

g of them, to come here t

ie. "Why mayn't they push, if they don't crowd out anybody else?

re? There are coarse, vulgar people always, who are wanting to ge

here weren't any difficulty made about it,-if there weren't any keeping out,-they would tire of

eside," said Ruth, walking c

ould ever find many more of them, but they're counting up," said Daki

s to me it ought to be, not for keeping people out, but for get

kingdom come,"

se continually, in fresh shapes, just now, when things n

when we were all quietly sitting in her room, and she was cutting out some shirts

much," said Barbara. "We've been a

'm not sorry for it," said Mrs. Holabird. "Only

t have to come to our

den has, mother? She goes right into

know what to do with her," said Barbara. "

you're a

ily, lest it should be exalted above measure

n give as well as not, and that helps her up. It comes naturally, as it cannot come with 'other servants.' She sits with us all day; her work is among ladies, and with them; she gets something so far, even in the midst of measuring and gorings, t

ommon people. More in us, because we do live plainly. If Mrs. Hadden or Mrs. Marchbanks

hem; and not the same good either, because it would be, or seem, a condescen

it, mother? A step up for somebody, and no step do

sition. It's as independent as the other. High moral and high social

re on the mean-spirited side of the Woman Question; 'all woman, and no question,' as mother says; we shall never preach, nor speech, nor leech; we can't be magnificent, and we

nice you are

thorn. Don'

having sewing done," said Mrs. Ho

play Box and Co

a, warmly. "You don't want to play anything. That's