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Eighth Day

"Oh, mamma, what do you think?" said Grace, bursting into the breakfast-room one morning. "Mr. Lane has invited" "Good morning, my dear," said Mrs. Vernon, checking the torrent of words with a motherly smile. "As this is the first time we have seen you, we should like that little piece of courtesy as an introduction to what you have to say." "Good morning, mamma; good morning, Aunt Jane; Mr. Lane has invited all our three families, boys and babies and grown people and everything, to go to a picnic in his woods out in the country on the Fourth; and it isn't to be a general basket pic-nic, but Mrs. Lane is going to send all the lunch from her house, and she wants to know if Aunt Jane and all of us girls won't go there Monday afternoon and make the things, and if we'll send her a list of what's wanted, she'll have everything ready." "I don't wonder that you are out of breath, Grace, after that long speech; do sit down and rest a few minutes. If your papa says yes, we'll go to the pic-nic with pleasure, and as for having a cooking-party at Mrs. Lane's, you must ask Aunt Jane about that." "Oh, I know Aunt Jane will say 'yes,' she's such a dear, good, kind, first-rate Aunty! Won't you, Aunt Jane?" "After all that praise, I'm afraid I might lose my reputation for amiability if I said 'no," said Mrs. King, laughing; "but luckily, I don't want to say no. I think the notion is capital, and I am for accepting at once." "Oh, you best of aunts!" exclaimed Grace, embracing her aunt rapturously. "I'll run and tell Mrs. Lane now -may I, mamma?" "I think Mrs. Lane will be able to wait until after breakfast," answered Mrs. Vernon, "and you must remember that you haven't consulted your father yet." "Oh, I know beforehand what he'll say; 'Just as your mother pleases.' I haven't asked papa's consent to any thing a thousand times in my life not to know that by this time. I hope he'll come down soon, though, so I can go through the motions."