36 THE HISTORY OF A NUT-CRACKER.

Miss Rose into a corner, gave the bed-room, formed by the
lowest shelf, to Miss cls, with whom she invited herself
TTT I _ to pass the even-
ing and enjoy a
supper of sugar
plums. MissClara,
on casting her
eyes around, saw
that everything
was in proper or-
der; her table well
spread with sugar
; plums and con-
served fruits, and her nice white bed with its white counter-
pane, all so neat and comfortable. She therefore felt very
well satisfied with her new apartment.

While all these arrangements were being made, the eve-
ning wore away: midnight was approaching—Godfather
Drosselmayer had been gone a long time—and yet the
children could not be persuaded to quit the cupboard.

Contrary to custom, it was Fritz that yielded first to the
persuasion of his parents, who told him that it was time to go
to bed.

“Well,” said he, “after all the exercise which my peer
hussars have had to-day, they must be i
fatigued ; and as those excellent soldiers
all know their duty towards me—and |
as, so long as I remain here, they will _A
not close their eyes—I must retire.” ===

With these words—and having
given them the watch-word, to pre-
vent them from being surprised by a
patrol of the enemy—Fritz went off I
to bed. — AMIN

But this was not the case with we
Mary; and as her mamma, who was 7 _