82 CAROLINE.

 

Books and playthings. Annie Linnand Ellen. Wallace and Livingston.

the hall. From the hall there was a door leading out
into a little green-yard, through which there was a pas-
sage to the garden. As they passed through the hall,
some of the children asked Caroline to show them her
playthings. So Caroline stopped to do this. She opened
first a large, deep drawer. ‘The drawer was full of picture-
books and. boxes of playthings. Caroline took a number
of these things out, and distributed them about to the
children, and she opened some boxes and took out the
toys which were inside of them and strewed them all
about the chairs and tables that were there. The
younger children gathered around her as she did this, and
examined the curiosities and toys with the greatest in-
terest. Among the rest was little Annie Linn.

Annie continually called to her sister Ellen, who was
at this time about fourteen years of age, to look at one
wonderful or beautiful thing after another, as Caroline
brought them successively to view. Ellen seemed to
take pleasure in looking at the playthings on her own
account, but she was still more interested im them on
account of her sister Annie, who kept fast hold of her
hand all the time, and seemed very desirous that she
should see all.

While a part of the company had stopped thus to look
at Caroline’s playthings, the rest passed on, and went out
into a little piazza which opened upon the green-yard.
Livingston remained behind looking at the playthings.
Wallace had gone out. Wallace came back, however,
to the door a moment afterward, and called Livingston
to come out into the garden.

“ Well,” said Livingston, “ I will come presently.”

“ No, come now,” said Wallace, “here is a swing.”