"I certainly think you deserve credit, Nan, for getting up such a pretty feast," said her aunt. "It is a shame there are so few to enjoy it."
"Next time I will invite Mrs. Roberts and Mr. St. Nick," said Nan. "I'll have something different then. But I didn't do this all myself, Aunt Helen; the girls all helped me and so did Li Hung."
"Well, it is quite too pretty not to be repeated," said Miss Helen.
And so the feasts were begun. Each week a different flower was used for decoration and Nan enjoyed hugely the appreciation her efforts brought forth. The twins and Mary Lee were scarcely less eager than their eldest sister and were her able helpers while Li Hung could be depended on for some novelty.
And so the golden days passed happily till it seemed that there must be a limit set to continual play and Miss Helen began to look around for a teacher for her nieces.
"I don't think we want them to study too hard," she said to Mrs. Corner, "but they ought not to get into the habit of thinking life must be only pleasuring."
"They must learn the blessedness of work," said Mrs. Corner. "They will enjoy play the more then. I think it is time the holiday was over. It has been a long one this year. I trust to you, Helen, to find them a proper teacher."
"I'll do my best," returned Miss Helen. "Mrs. Roberts will probably look out for us and we might advertise."
Both these plans were carried out, and a number of applicants appeared, but for some reason or other none of them suited Miss Helen. The first was a tall angular elderly woman from Massachusetts who spoke with a strong Yankee accent. She had taught a district school when she was a girl and thought herself amply qualified to be a governess to four little girls; her attainments, however, were so few that in spite of her calm self-complacence she was dismissed in short order. The second was a very young blooming girl, all fly-away feathers and be-ringed hands. She really didn't have to teach, she informed Miss Helen, but papa wouldn't give her enough pocket money and she wanted to buy some new things; an evening cloak and a bracelet; she'd love to teach four sweet little girls and she wouldn't be a bit strict. She was gently given to understand that she would not do and went away wondering why. The third was a sharp-eyed young woman of whom Miss Helen actually had hopes, for she seemed rather well qualified, but when she gave an example of her musical performances by putting her foot on the loud pedal and keeping it there during the whole time of her pounding out a showy waltz, and when her French was tested, Miss Helen's hopes waned, although she did take the young lady under consideration. "I could give Nan lessons myself, I suppose," she told Mrs. Corner, "and the children needn't take up French."
"No indeed; we'll not have anything of that kind," replied the girls' mother. "You are very good, Helen, but I don't intend that you shall bother over Nan's music when there must be suitably equipped teachers to be had. We'll continue the search."