"Really and truly," said Mother Fisher, "I think you did."

* * * * *

"ALL BY HERSELF."


The older children were gone out for the day: mamma was busy in the
sewing room with Miss Fay: Molly was doing the Saturday baking. "What
could Alice do all by herself?"

This was the very question that popped into the wee girl's own head,
and she trotted off to ask mamma.

"Here's I," she said, at the sewing room door. "Here's I, all by
myself. What's I goin' do, mamma?"

"Going to be mamma's good little daughter and amuse yourself this
morning without help from anybody. See how busy I am."

"Everybody's busy that isn't gone way off," said Alice dolefully.

"Well, then," said mamma. "Alice must be busy, too, taking care of
herself and making her own good times. See how well she can do it.

"But first of all," mamma went on, "think what you would like to do or
to have me get for you, and I'll stop a minute now for that, so as to
start you."

This was an important thing to decide, so Alice went into the next