porch.

When father came home in the evening he helped carry in all the furniture
and in the morning he helped move it back again.

"I tell you, Mary Jane, these moving days keep us husky and strong, don't
they?" he said as he picked up three chairs and two beds at one time.

Mary Jane laughed and, just to show that she was strong too, carried
out _three_ doll beds (to be sure they were for the very littlest,
two-for-a-nickel dolls but then they were three beds just the same) and a
washing machine at one time! Then she thanked her father for his good help
and he went to work and she settled down for a morning's house keeping.

About ten o'clock Mrs. Merrill came to the front door.

"Do you know any little girl who is big enough to run down to the grocery
and get me some sugar?" she asked.

"'Deed, yes, mother!" answered Mary Jane promptly, "I can bring you
ten-fifty pounds! See how strong I am?" And she doubled up her arm as she
had seen her big, basketball-playing sister do to show her muscle. "See?
And I could move more beds at one time than Daddah could this morning."

"Well, you are strong!" exclaimed mother admiringly; "you have more muscle
than you need for sugar getting because I want only three pounds this time.
I'm making cake and pies and cookies and I've run out of sugar and don't
want to leave my work to get more. Can you leave your family now?" she
added, for she was always particular to treat Mary Jane's duties or play as
politely as she expected Mary Jane to treat hers.