"My writing-desk,--has any one looked at it?" said Mrs. Parlin;
"rose-wood, inlaid with brass."

"My skates!" broke in Susy, at the top of her voice.

"Hush!" screamed cousin Percy; "won't anybody please notice my drum? If
you won't look, then look out for a drum in each ear!"

And as nobody would look or pay the slightest attention, they all had to
hear "Dixie" pounded out in true martial style, till they held on to
their ears.

"Rattlety bang!" went the drum. "Tweet, tweet," whistled the little
musical instruments which the children were blowing.

"Have pity on us!" cried aunt Madge; "I am bewildered; my head is
floating like a Chinese garden."

"Order!" shouted Mr. Parlin, laughing.

"O, yes, sir," said Percy, seizing Susy and whirling her round.
"Children, why don't you try to preserve order? My nerves are strung up
like violin-strings! I've got a pound of headache to every ounce of
brains. Susy Parlin, do try to keep still!"

"Thee needn't pretend it is all Susan," said grandma Read, smiling.
"Thee and little Prudence are the noisiest of the whole!"

In fact, they raised such a din, that after a while poor grandma Read
smoothed the Quaker cap over her smiling face, and stole off into her