"Are their clothes as poor as their bodies?"
"Yes, indeed; and it does seem hard this cold weather for little children to have neither flesh nor flannels over the bones."
"I am perfectly willing to make a small charge, if you can let it be known in time for the people to be prepared."
"Oh, Dan'el and Mr. Bowen 'll see to that. Put up a notice in the mill and post-office; everybody 'll find it out."
So it was agreed that we should make the grown up folk pay something; but I insisted the price must not exceed twenty-five cents.
I went home to luncheon on Friday, very tired, but also very enthusiastic over our tree. If I could secure Mr. Winthrop's consent to a plain dinner, our entire domestic force could attend, and they were all eager to do so. He and Mr. Bovyer were engaged in a warm discussion over some knotty subject as they entered the dining-room, thereby compelling me to leave my question for sometime unasked. But Mr. Bovyer presently turned to me and said,
"Really, Miss Selwyn, you must think we have forgotten your existence."
"Oh, no, indeed; but I should like you to converse on something within nearer range of my faculties for a little while."
"We are all attention."
I turned to Mr. Winthrop as he spoke: