"An' us'll wait on the table!"
"Yes, us'll wait on the table!" cried the twins.
"But," added Felix, in a moment, "you mustn't invite Miss Penny, Meg,'cause if you do F'lissy an' me'll be thest shore to disgrace the party a-laughin'. She looks thest ezzac'ly like a canary-bird, an' Buddy has tooken her off till we thest die a-laughin' every time we see her. I think she's raised canaries till she's a sort o' half-canary herself. Don't let's invite her, Sisty."
"And don't you think Miss Penny would enjoy a slice of Christmas turkey as well as the rest of us, Felix?"
"SHE OUGHT TO EAT CANARY-SEED AND FISH-BONE."
"No; I fink she ought to eat canary-seed and fish-bone," chirped in Dorothea.
Dorothea was only five, and this from her was so funny that even Meg laughed.
"An' Buddy says he knows she sleeps perched on the towel-rack, 'cause they ain't a sign of a bed in her room."
The three youngest were fairly choking with laughter now. But the older ones had soon grown quite serious in consulting about all the details of the matter, and even making out a conditional list of guests.