expected. Aunt Izzie, who was in a great excitement, gave the children
many orders about their behavior. They were to do this and that, and not
to do the other. Dorry, at last, announced that he wished Cousin Helen
would just stay at home. Clover and Elsie, who had been thinking pretty
much the same thing in private, were glad to hear that she was on her
way to a Water Cure, and would stay only four days.

Five o'clock came. They all sat on the steps waiting for the carriage.
At last it drove up. Papa was on the box. He motioned the children to
stand back. Then he helped out a nice-looking young woman, who, Aunt
Izzie told them, was Cousin Helen's nurse, and then, very carefully,
lifted Cousin Helen in his arms and brought her in.

"Oh, there are the chicks!" were the first words the children heard, in
such a gay, pleasant voice. "Do set me down somewhere, uncle. I want to
see them so much!"

So Papa put Cousin Helen on the hall sofa. The nurse fetched a pillow,
and when she was made comfortable, Dr. Carr called to the little ones.

"Cousin Helen wants to see you," he said.

"Indeed I do," said the bright voice. "So this is Katy? Why, what a
splendid tall Katy it is! And this is Clover," kissing her; "and this
dear little Elsie. You all look as natural as possible--just as if I had
seen you before."

And she hugged them all round, not as if it was polite to like them
because they were relations, but as if she had loved them and wanted
them all her life.