"Oh isn't it?" said the harpy. "Then I'll do what's improper!" And
she got her finger and thumb well through the holes in the scissors'
handles. As she spoke resolution was plainly marked on her brow.

"Well, if they are to be cut up, I should certainly like a bit for a
pen-wiper," said No. 2. No. 2 was a literary young lady with a
periodical correspondence, a journal, and an album. Snip, snip went
the scissors again, and the broad part of the upper right division
afforded ample materials for a pen-wiper.

Then the lady with the back, seeing that the desecration of the
article had been completed, plucked up heart of courage and put in
her little request; "I think I might have a needle-case out of it,"
said she, "just as a suvneer of the poor general"--and a long
fragment cut rapidly out of the waistband afforded her unqualified
delight.

Mamma, with the hot face and untidy hair, came next. "Well, girls,"
she said, "as you are all served, I don't see why I'm to be left
out. Perhaps, Miss Grogram"--she was an old maid, you see--
"perhaps, Miss Grogram, you could get me as much as would make a
decent-sized reticule."

There was not the slightest difficulty in doing this. The harpy in
the centre again went to work, snip, snip, and extracting from that
portion of the affairs which usually sustained the greater portion
of Mr. Horne's weight two large round pieces of cloth, presented
them to the well-pleased matron. "The general knew well where to
get a bit of good broadcloth, certainly," said she, again feeling