Huldah sprang forward gladly to open the door, but Mrs. Perry was at it first.  “I will go,” she said, hastily, “I understand Miss Rose wants me.”

Huldah, puzzled and disappointed, did not move another step.  Through the open door she saw the dear fat pony, and longed to pat him; she saw Miss Rose smiling and talking, and longed to be there to receive one of her smiles.  She saw her too lifting boxes and bundles out of the pony-cart, and piling them in Mrs. Perry’s arms.

“Why can’t I go out and help?” she asked herself.  Everyone was out there, even Dick, and she felt forlorn and left out.  Then she saw Miss Carew fasten the pony to the railings by his strap, and, picking up the last of the boxes, follow Mrs. Perry up the garden.

“Good morning, brownie,” she said, brightly, and her voice and smile drove the “left out” feeling from Huldah’s heart in a moment.

“I am trying to pretend to be a good fairy to-day, but I am too big and clumsy for the part.”

Huldah gazed wonderingly, not understanding.

“I wanted you to have some new clothes, brownie, so I waved my wand,—­and here they are.”

“New—­clothes!” gasped Huldah, “for me!” She looked round, and caught sight of Mrs. Perry’s face, wreathed in glad smiles.  “But I never have any, miss, I was telling Mrs. Perry so as you drove up.  Old ones is plenty good enough for me.  I should be afraid to wear new ones, for fear of spoiling them.”

“Then you must learn to, little brownie.  Oh, you have lots to learn yet.  There’s only one thing I am sorry for, you won’t be a brownie any longer, nor yet a fairy dressed in green”; and with the same she whisked the cover off the big box she had been carrying, and there lay neatly folded three little plain print frocks, one lavender, one pink, and one blue.

Huldah cried aloud in sheer amazement.  She had never seen anything so pretty in her life.  Underneath the frocks were some plain holland aprons.  Huldah began to fear it was all a beautiful dream, from which she would awaken presently.

“Open that other box, please, Mrs. Perry,” said Miss Rose, briskly; and in that one was a neat sun-hat, with a black ribbon bow on it, and beneath the hat were two little pink cotton petticoats, some calico garments, some stockings and handkerchiefs.

Huldah by that time was in such a state of excitement, she could no longer exclaim, she could hardly breathe, and when the last of the parcels was opened, and disclosed a pair of good boots and a pair of slippers, the tears which had gradually been welling up in her eyes fell over, and with a sob she threw her arms round Mrs. Perry and buried her face on her breast.

“Oh, it’s too much, it’s too much, I can’t take it all!  I can’t do anything for anybody, and I can’t pay for nothing.  I haven’t got any money, and you mustn’t give me such a lot—­”