bed, but the wood box and the coal-hod finished out the line
nicely. The children took their places according to age, Sarah
Maud at the head and Larry on the coal-hod, and Mrs. Ruggles
seated herself in front, surveying them proudly as she wiped the
sweat of honest toil from her brow.

"Well," she exclaimed, "if I do say so as shouldn't, I never see
a cleaner, more stylish mess o' childern in my life! I do wish
Ruggles could look at ye for a minute! Now, I've of 'en told ye
what kind of a family the McGrills was. I've got some reason to
be proud; your uncle is on the po-lice force o' New York city;
you can take up the newspaper most any day an' see his name
printed right out--James McGrill, and I can't have my childern
fetched up common, like some folks. When they go out they've got
to have close, and learn ter act decent! Now, I want ter see how
yer goin' to behave when yer git there to-night. Let's start in
at the beginnin' 'n act out the whole business. Pile into the
bed-room, there, every last one of ye, an' show me how yer goin'
ter go in't the parlor. This'll be the parlor 'n I'll be Mis'
Bird." The youngsters hustled into the next room in high glee,
and Mrs. Ruggles drew herself up in her chair with an infinitely
haughty and purse-proud expression that much better suited a
descendant of the McGrills than modest Mrs. Bird. The bed-room
was small, and there presently ensued such a clatter that you
would have thought a herd of wild cattle had broken loose; the
door opened, and they straggled in, all the little ones giggling,
with Sarah Maud at the head, looking as if she had been caught in
the act of stealing sheep; while Larry, being last in line,
seemed to think the door a sort of gate of heaven which would be
shut in his face if he didn't get there in time; accordingly he