"No," said Ben, "I think the nicest way is for all to say somethin',
then 'twon't be hard for any of us."

"Where's the paper," queried Polly, "coming from, I wonder!"

"Joel," said Mrs. Pepper, "run to the bureau in the bedroom, and
open the top drawer, and get a green box there."

So Joel, quite important at the errand, departed, and presently put
the designated box into his mother's hand.

"There, now I'm going to give you this," and she took out a small
sheet of paper slightly yellowed by age; but being gilt-edged, it
looked very magnificent to the five pairs of eyes directed to it.

"Now Ben, you get the ink bottle and the pen, and then go to
work."

So Ben reached down from the upper shelf in the cupboard the ink
bottle, and a pen in a black wooden penholder.

"Oh, mamsie," cried Polly, "that's where Phronsie bit it off when
she was a baby, isn't it?" holding up the stubby end where the little
ball had disappeared.

"Yes," said Mrs. Pepper, "and now you're going to write about her
'gingerbread boy' with it--well, time goes, to be sure." And she bent
over her work again, harder than ever. Poor woman! if she could
only scrape together enough money to get her children into
school--that was the earnest wish of her heart. She must do it soon,