Ladies, even when they means well, has a way of standing about and telling you to do things without seeming to know quite how they ought to be done.

She's coming to help with the bread-and-butter-cutting herself this morning, and she put up all them packages of sweets yesterday with her own hands.

She did 'em up in different-coloured papers, and tied 'em with bits of ribbon, because she said she knowed children was prouder of coloured things than plain--they was like that.

And so they are: a bit of red or blue goes a long way with a child." Emily cut bread-and-butter and cake, and placed seats and arranged toys on tables all the morning.

The day was hot, though beautiful, and she was so busy that she had scarcely time for her breakfast.