The older people were the spectators, the younger ones the actors.
Mendicant was the word chosen for the first.
A number of the boys and girls came trooping into the parlor, each carrying an old garment, thimble on finger, and needle and thread in hand.

Seating themselves they fell to work.
Zoe was patching an old coat, Lulu an apron, Gracie a doll's dress; Eva and Rosie each had a worn stocking drawn over her hand, and was busily engaged in darning it; the other girls were mending gloves, the boys old shoes; and as they worked they talked among themselves.
"Zoe," said Maud, "I should mend that coat differently." "How would you mend it ?" asked Zoe.
"With a patch much larger than that you are sewing on it." "I shouldn't mend it that way," remarked Sydney.

"I'd darn it." "Thank you both for your very kind and disinterested advice," sniffed Zoe.

"But I learned how to mend before I ever saw you.

And I should mend those gloves in a better way than you are taking." "If you know so well how to mend, Madam Zoe, will you please give me some instruction about mending this shoe ?" said Herbert.