Eight cousins : or, The aunt-hill

;52 EIGHT COUSINS." Can't I help you, uncle ? " asked Rose, quite burnins;to be useful." No, thank you. I 'm going to borrow Phebe fora while, if Aunt Plenty can spare her."" Anybody, — any thing, Alec. You will want me,I know, so I'll give orders about dinner and be allready to lend a hand ;" and the old lady bustled awayfull ofinterest and good-will." Uncle will find that I can do some things thatPhebe can't ; so now "! thought Rose, with a toss ofthe head as she flew to Aunt Peace and the longdesiredbox.Every little girl can easily imagine what an extragood time she had diving into a sea of treasures andfishing up one pretty thing after another, till the airwas full of the mingled odors of musk and sandal-wood,the room gay with bright colors, and Rose in a raptureof delight. She began to forgive Dr. Alec for theoatmeal diet when she saw a lovely ivory work-boxbecame resigned to the state of her belt when shefound a pile of rainbow-colored sashes ;and when shecame to some distractingly pretty bottles of attar ofrose, she felt that they almost atoned for the greatsin of thinking Phebe the finer girl of the two.Dr. Alec meanwhile had apparently taken AuntPlenty at her word, and loas turning the house upsidedown. A general revolution was evidently going onin the green-room, for the dark damask curtains wereseen bundling away in Phebe's arms ; the air-tightstove retiring to the cellar on Ben's shoulder ;and thegreat bedstead going up garret in a fragmentary state,escorted by three bearers. Aunt Plenty was constantly