We've been playing keeping house, but Enna will be mother all the time, and she scolds and whips us so much that we are all tired of it." "Well, what shall we play ?" asked Elsie, good-naturedly.

"Will you build houses ?" "No, I'm tired of that, because Enna takes all the blocks," said another little girl.

"She isn't at all polite to visitors, is she, Flora ?" "No," replied Flora, "and I don't _ever_ mean to come to see her again." "I don't care," retorted Enna, angrily, "and I don't take _all_ the blocks, either." "Well, _most_ all, you do," said the other, "and it isn't polite." "They're mine, and I'll have as many as I want; and I don't care if it _isn't_ polite," Enna answered, with a pout that by no means improved her appearance.
"Will you play 'O sister, O Phebe ?'" asked Elsie.
"No, no!" cried several little voices, "Enna always wants to be in the middle; and besides, Arthur always wants to play, and he will kiss us; and we don't like it." Elsie was almost in despair; but Herbert, who was lying on a sofa, reading, suddenly shut his book, saying, "I tell you what, Elsie! tell us one of those nice fairy stories we all like so much!" "Yes, do, do!" cried several of the little ones, clapping their hands.
So Elsie drew up a stool close to Herbert's sofa, and the little ones clustered around her, Enna insisting on having the best place for hearing; and for more than an hour she kept them quiet and interested; but was very glad when at last the maid came to take them out walking, thus leaving her at liberty to follow her own inclination.
"What are you going to do now, Elsie ?" asked Caroline, closing her book.
"I am going down to the drawing-room to ask Aunt Adelaide to show me how to crochet this mitten for mammy," Elsie answered.
"Won't you come along, girls ?" "Yes, let's take our sewing down there," said Lucy, gathering up the bits of muslin and silk, and putting them in her work-box.
Elsie glanced hastily around as they entered, and gave a satisfied little sigh on perceiving that Miss Stevens was not in the room, and that her Aunt Adelaide was seated with her embroidery near one of the windows, while her papa sat near by, reading the morning paper.
The little girls soon established themselves in a group on the opposite side of Miss Adelaide's window, and she very good-naturedly gave Elsie the assistance she needed.
"Elsie," said Lucy, presently, in an undertone, "Carry has been showing us her bracelet, and I think it is beautiful; she won't tell whose hair it is--I guess it's her sister's, maybe--but I'm sure yours would make just as pretty a bracelet, and I want one for my mamma; won't you give me one of your curls to make it?
you have so many that one would never be missed." "No, Miss Lucy," said Mr.Dinsmore, looking at them over his paper, "you can't have one of my curls; I can't spare it." "I don't want one of _your_ curls, Mr.Dinsmore," laughed Lucy, merrily.
"I didn't ask for it.

Your hair is very pretty, too, but it would be quite too short." "I beg your pardon, Miss Lucy, if my ears deceived me," said he, with mock gravity, "but I was quite certain I heard you asking for one of my curls.

Perhaps, though, you are not aware of the fact that my curls grow on two heads." "I don't know what you mean, Mr.Dinsmore," replied Lucy, laughing again, "but it was one of Elsie's curls I asked for." "Elsie doesn't own any," said he; "they all belong to me.