night-gown in a book."

"Isn't it wicked to care about clothes when you're sick?"
questioned Cecy.

"I don't believe Cousin Helen _could_ do anything wicked," said Katy.

"I told Ma that she had on bracelets, and Ma said she feared your cousin
was a worldly person," retorted Cecy, primming up her lips.

Katy and Clover were quite distressed at this opinion. They talked about
it while they were undressing.

"I mean to ask Cousin Helen to-morrow," said Katy.

Next morning the children got up very early. They were so glad that it
was vacation! If it hadn't been, they would have been forced to go to
school without seeing Cousin Helen, for she didn't wake till late.
They grew so impatient of the delay, and went up stairs so often to
listen at the door, and see if she were moving, that Aunt Izzie
finally had to order them off. Katy rebelled against this order a good
deal, but she consoled herself by going into the garden and picking
the prettiest flowers she could find, to give to Cousin Helen the
moment she should see her.

When Aunt Izzie let her go up, Cousin Helen was lying on the sofa all
dressed for the day in a fresh blue muslin, with blue ribbons, and
cunning bronze slippers with rosettes on the toes. The sofa had been
wheeled round with its back to the light. There was a cushion with a
pretty fluted cover, that Katy had never seen before, and several other