"If you go on talking so much, you will not get any half-farthings at
all!" shouted No. 4, from the distance.

A pause followed this warning, and the small party ducked down again
to their work.

They no longer liked it, however; and very soon afterwards the jocose
No. 5 observed, in subdued tones to the others:-

"I wonder what THE LITTLE VICTIMS would have said to this kind of
thing?"

"They'd have hated it," answered No. 6, very decidedly.

The fact was, the little ones were getting really tired, for the fine
May morning had turned into a hot day; and in a few minutes more, a
still further aggravation of feeling took place.

No. 6 got up again, shook the gravel from her frock, blew it off her
hands, pushed back a heap of heavy curls from her face, set her hat
as far back on her head as she could, and exclaimed:-

"I wish there were no such things as weeds in the world!"

Everybody seemed struck with this impressive sentiment, for they all
left off weeding at once, and Aunt Judy came forward to the front of
the alcove.

"Don't you, Aunt Judy?" added No. 6, feeling sure her sister had
heard.