“We were not rich at all, but we were very comfortable and very content.” Mrs. Law gave a little sigh.
“Just wait till I grow up, and we will be again,” said Jerry, pausing with a big piece of dumpling on his fork.
“That’s so long,” sighed Cassy.
But to Jerry with a plentiful meal before him to-morrows were pleasant anticipations, and he replied: “Pshaw! no it isn’t.”
Cassy glanced up and caught her mother’s tired look.
“Well, no it isn’t,” she agreed; “it won’t be any time, and I’ll be grown up, too, and mother won’t have a thing to do but——”
“‘Sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam,’” Mrs. Law put in.
“‘And feed upon strawberries, sugar and cream,’” Cassy finished the line. “I saw strawberries in one of the shops yesterday.”
“I’d rather have dumplings any day,” Jerry decided, having finished eating his stew, and being now ready to attack the dumplings and molasses. To tell the truth, the dumplings formed the principal part of the stew and the meat was very scarce, but the children rather rejoiced at that, and completed their meal with much satisfaction. Then there were many little duties to be done, and of all the rooms in the tenement it is safe to say that Mrs. Law’s was in decidedly the best order for Sunday.
Cassy could hardly wait till noon time Monday, and though she was usually a pretty good scholar, she made many mistakes that morning, and was only aroused to a sense of her inattention when it suddenly dawned upon her that she might be kept in and that would be a calamity too dreadful to contemplate.