【正文】 d fifteen miles away in the Kentak direction, but what I knew of her I liked. She was some three years younger than my mother. Superficially they were not dissimilar, and yet, in Aunt Harriet each feature had been a little softened, so that the effect of them all together was different. I used to feel when I looked at her that I was seeing my mother as she might have been — as, I thought, I would have liked her to be. She was easier to talk to, too。 she did not have a somewhat damping manner of listening only to correct.I edged over carefully on stockinged feet to the window, watched her tether the horse, pick a white bundle out of the trap, and carry it into the house. She cannot have met anyone, for a few seconds later her steps passed the door, and the latch of the next room clicked.39。Why, Harriet!39。 my mother39。s voice exclaimed in surprise, and not altogether in approval. 39。 So soon! You don39。t mean to say you39。ve brought a tiny baby all that way!39。39。I know,39。 said Aunt Harriet39。s voice, accepting the reproof in my mother39。s tone, 39。but I had to, Emily. I had to. I heard your baby had e early, so I — oh, there she is! Oh, she39。s lovely, Emily. She39。s a lovely baby.39。 There was a pause. Presently she added: 39。 Mine39。s lovely, too, isn39。t she? Isn39。t she a lovely darling?39。There was a certain amount of mutual congratulation which did not interest me a lot. I didn39。t suppose the babies looked much different from other babies, really. My mother said:39。 I am glad, my dear. Henry must be delighted.39。39。Of course he is,39。 said Aunt Harriet, but there was something wrong about the way she said it. Even I knew that. She hurried on: 39。She was born a week ago. I didn39。t know what to do. Then when I heard your baby had e early and was a girl, too, it was like God answering a prayer.39。 She paused, and then added with a casualness which somehow failed to be casual: 39。You39。ve got the certificate for her?39。39。 Of course.39。 My mother39。s tone was sharp, ready for offence. I knew the expression which went with the tone. When she spoke again there was a disturbing quality in her voice.39。Harriet!39。 she demanded sharply. 39。Are you going to tell me that you have not got a certificate?39。My aunt made no reply, but I thought I caught the sound of a suppressed sob. My mother said coldly, forcibly:39。 Harriet, let me see that child — properly.39。For some seconds I could hear nothing but another sob or two from my aunt. Then she said, unsteadily:39。 It39。s such a little thing, you see. It39。s nothing much.39。39。Nothing much!39。 snapped my mother. 39。You have the effrontery to bring your monster into my house, and tell me it39。s nothing much!39。39。Monster!39。 Aunt Harriet39。s voice sounded as though she had been slapped. 39。Oh! Oh! Oh! ...39。 She broke into little moanings.After a time my mother said:39。 No wonder you didn39。t dare to call the inspector.39。Aunt Harriet went on crying. My mother let the sobs almost die away before she said:39。 I39。d like to know why you have e here, Harriet? Why did you bring it here?39。Aunt Harriet blew her nose. When she spoke it was in a dull, flat voice:39。 When she came — when I saw her, I wanted to kill myself. I knew they would never approve her, although it39。s such a little thing. But I didn39。t, because I thought perhaps I could saAs spring came on, a new set of amusements became the fashion, and the lengthening days gave long afternoons for work and play of all sorts. The garden had to be put in order, and each sister had a quarter of the little plot to do what she liked with. Hannah used to say, I39。d know which each of them gardings belonged to, ef I see 39。em in Chiny, and so she might, for the girls39。 tastes differed as much as their characters. Meg39。s had roses and heliotrope, myrtle, and a little orange tree in it. Jo39。s bed was never alike two seasons, for she was always trying experiments. This year it was to be a plantation of sun flowers, the seeds of which cheerful land aspiring plant were to feed Aunt Cockletop and her family of chicks. Beth had oldfashioned fragrant flowers in her garden, sweet peas and mignonette, larkspur, pinks, pansies, and southernwood, with chickweed for the birds and catnip for the pussies. Amy had a bower in hers, rather small and earwiggy, but very pretty to look at, with honeysuckle and morningglories hanging their colored horns and bells in graceful wreaths all over it, tall white lilies, delicate ferns, and as many brilliant, picturesque plants as would consent to blossom there. Gardening, walks, rows on the river, and flower hunts employed the fine days, and for rainy ones, they had house diversions, some old, some new, all more or less original. One of these was the `39。, for as secret societies were the fashion,it was thought proper to have one, and as all of the girls admired Dickens, they called themselves the Pickwick Club. With a few interruptions, they had kept this up for a year, and met every Saturday evening in the big garret, on which occasions the ceremonies were as follows: Three chairs were arranged in a row before a table on which was a lamp, also four white badges, with a big `.39。 in different colors on each, and the weekly newspaper called, The Pickwick Portfolio, to which all contributed something, while Jo, who reveled in pens and ink, was the editor. At seven o39。clock, the four members ascended to the clubroom, tied their badges round their heads, and took their seats with great solemnity. Meg, as the eldest, was Samuel Pickwick, Jo, being of a literary turn, Augustus Snodgrass, Beth, because she was round and rosy, Tracy Tupman, and Amy, who was always trying to do what she couldn39。t, was Nathaniel Winkle. Pickwick, the president, read the paper, which was filled with original tales, poetry, local news, funny advertisements, and hints, in which they goodnaturedly reminded each other of their faults and short ings. On one occasion, Mr. Pickwick put on