“And there’s my Polly in her cage and fast asleep too, I do believe,” said Lulu, “I want ever so much to hear her talk, but I’ll be as good to her as you are to your pet, Gracie; I won’t wake her.

“Now we must take off our things, Gracie, for you know papa always says we mustn’t keep them on in the house, and that we must put them away in their places.”

“Yes; but I’m so tired!  Papa would let me wait a minute.”

“Of course, you poor little weak thing!  I’ll take them off for you and put them away too; and you need hardly more,” Lulu said, hastily throwing off her own coat and hat.

Then kneeling on the rug beside her sister, she began undoing the fastenings of her coat.

“Dear Lu, you’re just as good to me as can be!” sighed Grace in tender, grateful accents.  “I really don’t know what I’d ever do without my nice big sister.”

“Somebody else would take care of you,” said Lulu, flushing with pleasure nevertheless.  “There now, I’ll go and put both our things in their right places.”

When she came back she found Grace brimming over with delight because the kitten had waked, crept into her lap, and curled itself up there for another nap.

“O Lu, just see!” she cried.  “I do believe she’s fond of me.  Isn’t it nice?”

“Yes, very nice; but you’re burning your face before that bright fire.  Oh you do need your big sister to take care of you!” lifting a screen in between Grace and the glowing grate.

Then seating herself on a hassock, “Now put your head in my lap and stretch yourself out on the rug.  You can rest nicely that way and we’ll have a good talk.  Such a nice, big, soft rug as this is!  I should think it must have taken several big sheep skins to make it, and it was so good in papa to have it put here for us.”

“Yes, indeed! our dear papa! how I do love him! he’s always doing kind things to us.”

“Yes, O Gracie, if I were only good like you and didn’t ever do and say naughty things that make him feel sad!” sighed Lulu.  “Oh do you know we are going to have a party on New Years?  All the folks that were at Ion are to come; the grown up ones to be papa’s and Mamma Vi’s company, and the young ones your’s and Maxie’s and mine.”

“Yes, I know.  And we’re all to go to Fairview to spend Monday.”

“Won’t it be nice?”

“Yes—­” a rather doubtful yes—­“but I—­’most think I like being at home the best of all.”

“Why? didn’t you enjoy yourself at Ion?”

“Yes; but I believe I’m a little bit tired now.”

“Tired?”

“Yes; of being with so many folks.  It’s nice for a while, but after that it sort of wears me out; and I’m glad to get back to my own dear home where I can be just as quiet as ever I please.”

“Oh, there is papa!” exclaimed Lulu, turning her head and seeing him standing in the open doorway.

He was smiling on his darlings, thinking what a pretty picture they made—­the little slender figure on the rug with the kitten closely cuddled in its arms, the golden head lying in Lulu’s lap, while her blooming face bent tenderly over it, one hand toying with its soft ringlets.