There is Amy at the gate now." It was a much taller Amy than had come home from Italy the year before who was walking toward them under the budding locust-boughs.

Roman fever had seemed to quicken and stimulate all Amy's powers, and she had grown very fast during the past year.

Her face was as frank and childlike as ever, and her eyes as blue; but she was prettier than when she went to Europe, for her cheeks were pink, and the mane of waving hair which framed them in was very becoming.

The hair was just long enough now to touch her shoulders; it was turning brown as it lengthened, but the ends of the locks still shone with childish gold, and caught the sun in little shining rings as it filtered down through the tree branches.
She kissed Clover several times, and gave Katy a long, close hug; then she produced a parcel daintily hid in silver paper.
"Tanta," she said,--this was a pet name lately invented for Katy,--"here is something for you from mamma.

It's something quite particular, I think, for mamma cried when she was writing the note; not a hard cry, you know, but just two little teeny-weeny tears in her eyes.