THE PARTY. 89

 

 

Livingston’s doubt and perplexity. Ellen puts up the playthings.

“ No, Annie, you can’t have it. We will put it back
in its place again.”

“Why can’t I have it, Ellen ?” asked Annie, looking
up to her with a countenance expressive of great astonish-
ment.

« You must not ask me why now,’ said Ellen. “We
will put it back in its place.”

Annie appeared very much disappointed, but she did
not speak another word.

“T wonder what the reason is,” thought Livingston to
himself, “ why she is not willing that Annie should have
the cow. Is it delicacy—because she thinks that Annie’s
carrying the cow to Caroline was in some sense asking
for it, and that a present ought not to be accepted that
seemed to be asked for,—or is it pride——because she is not
willing that her sister should depend for her happiness on
Caroline’s broken playthings? Whichever it is,” he con-
tinued, “I like her the better for it. In fact, I hope it is
pride.”

Whatever may have been Ellen’s feeling, she seemed a
little embarrassed and troubled by the occurrence. She
went to work very diligently, putting the playthings
away. Livingston was trying to think what he could do
or say to make her feel at ease again, when he heard the
voices of the children coming in from the garden. Ina
minute more they all entered the hall. They had come
in, as Caroline said, to see if tea was ready. They found
that it would not be ready for half an hour.

So after rambling about the hall a few minutes, they
all moved out into the garden again, and as by this time
Ellen had put the playthings all away, she and the
children who had been with her went too.