Father's Generous Offer.

Well, when the car came to the door, it turned out that there hardly seemed as much room in it as we had supposed, because we hadn't reckoned on father's fishing basket and the rods and the lunch, and it was plain enough that we couldn't all get in.

Father said not to mind him; he said that he could just as well stay home, and that he was sure that he could put in the time spading in the garden; he said that there was a lot of rough dirty work that he could do, like digging a trench for the garbage, that would save hiring a man, and so he said that he'd stay home; he said that we were not to let the fact of his not having had a real holiday for three years stand in our way; he wanted us to go right ahead and be happy, and have a big day, and not to mind him. He said that he could plug away all day, and, in fact, he said he'd been a fool to think there'd be any holiday for him.

But, of course, we all felt that it would never do to let father stay home, especially as we page 69 knew he would make trouble if he did. The two girls, Anna and Mary, would gladly have stayed and helped the maid get dinner, only it seemed such a pity too on a lovely day like this, having their new hats. But they both said that mother had only to say the word, and they'd gladly stay at home and work. Will and I would have dropped out, but unfortunately we wouldn't have been any use in getting the dinner.