pleased the little invalid.

"I will be the lady of the house," said Annie, promptly, "because I have
rings on my fingers, and a coral necklace. My name is Mrs. Piper.
Prudy,--no, Rosy,--you shall be Mrs. Shotwell, come a-visiting me;
because you can't do anything else. We'll make believe you've lost your
husband in the wars. I know a Mrs. Shotwell, and she is always
_taking-on_, and saying, 'My poor dear husband,' under her handkerchief;
just this way."

The children laughed at the nasal twang which Annie gave to the words,
and Prudy imitated it to perfection, not knowing it was wrong.

"Well, what shall I be?" said Susy, not very well pleased that the first
characters had been taken already.

"O, you shall be a hired girl, and wear a handkerchief on your head,
just as our girl does; and you must be a little deaf, and keep saying,
'What, ma'am?' when I speak to you."

"And I," said Florence, "will be Mr. Peter Piper, the head of the
family."

"Yes," returned Annie, "you can put on a waterproof cloak, and you will
make quite a good-looking husband; but I shall be the head of the family
myself, and have things about as I please!"

"Well, there," cried Flossy, slipping her arms into the sleeves of her
cloak, "I don't know about that; I don't think it's very polite for you
to treat your husband in that way."