[Transcriber's note: This is the first of a series of four novels bySusan Warner, all of which are in the Project Gutenberg collection:
1. What She Could
2. Opportunities
3. The House in Town
4. Trading]
| CHAPTER I | CHAPTER II | CHAPTER III | CHAPTER IV | CHAPTER V | CHAPTER VI |
| CHAPTER VII | CHAPTER VIII | CHAPTER IX | CHAPTER X | CHAPTER XI | CHAPTER XII |
"Girls, there's a Band!"
"A what?"
"A Band—in the Sunday-School."
"I am sure there is a careless girl in the house," put in anotherspeaker. "Go and wipe your feet, Maria; look at the snow you havebrought in."
"But, mamma——"
"Go and get rid of that snow before you say another word. And you too,Matilda; see, child, what lumps of snow are sticking to your shoes. Wasthere no mat at the door?"
"There was a cold wind there," muttered Maria, as she went to obeyorders. "What harm does a little snow do?"
But while she went to the door again, her sister, a pretty, delicatechild of fewer years, stood still, and adroitly slipped her feet out ofthe snowy shoes she had brought in, which she put in the corner of thefireplace to thaw and dry off; the little stocking feet standingcomfortably on the rug before the blaze. It was so neatly done, themother and elder sisters looked on and could not chide. Neatness suitedthe place. The room was full of warm comfort; the furniture in niceorder; the work, several kinds of which were in as many hands, thoughlying about also on chairs and tables, had yet the look of order andme