“Well, see that you do it,” said papa, laughing.
“Won’t you please take care of me too?” asked Miss Croswell, their sabbath-school teacher.
Pollio saw at once that she was making sport of him: so he did not answer, but drew himself up like a little man, and threw one arm protectingly around his sister.
Then papa kissed all the children, and the twins twice over, saying to Posy,—
“Good-by, my own little rosebud.”
And, when he walked up the wharf, he carried a picture in his mind of a beautiful little girl with a pink rosebud on her bosom.
There was such a crowd on the boat, that uncle Rufus and aunt Ann watched the little ones every moment; while Edith took care of Teddy. None of the children knew they were watched, however: they thought they were all helping Dick look out for the baskets.
“Did you ever see a merrier party?” said Nanty to Nunky, as she held Posy’s hand, and looked round upon the bright little faces.
Hop-clover was there in a faded but clean calico frock, hugging a paper bag of crackers, which was all she could find for her dinner; but, if it had been roast turkey and plum-pudding, she could not have looked gayer.
“Nunky, please let go my hand,” said Pollio. “I want to show Posy how the paddles work.”