“I like Rafael go the Christ-church,” she said.  “I use go myself, home—­Italy.”

The brown suit, too small for Francie, was just right for Rafael, and it would have been hard to find two happier little boys than Francie and his fish when they walked into the Primary class together.

Rafael clapped his hands with the rest when Miss Florence pinned the fish in the river and the red tag on Francie’s blouse.

[Illustration:  Miss Florence pinned the fish in the river and the red tag on Francie’s blouse.]

And what do you think?  Out in the big room there were two more new fish, one in Mother Fisher’s class and one in Father Fisher’s.  They were Mr. Lugi and the little Italian mother, come to Sunday-school with their little boy.

“Really and truly,” Francie said, “seem’s if I caught three fish ’stead of one.”

“Really and truly,” said Mother Fisher, “I think you did.”

* * * * *

“All by herself.”

The older children were gone out for the day:  mamma was busy in the sewing room with Miss Fay:  Molly was doing the Saturday baking.  “What could Alice do all by herself?”

This was the very question that popped into the wee girl’s own head, and she trotted off to ask mamma.

“Here’s I,” she said, at the sewing room door.  “Here’s I, all by myself.  What’s I goin’ do, mamma?”

“Going to be mamma’s good little daughter and amuse yourself this morning without help from anybody.  See how busy I am.”

“Everybody’s busy that isn’t gone way off,” said Alice dolefully.

“Well, then,” said mamma.  “Alice must be busy, too, taking care of herself and making her own good times.  See how well she can do it.

“But first of all,” mamma went on, “think what you would like to do or to have me get for you, and I’ll stop a minute now for that, so as to start you.”

This was an important thing to decide, so Alice went into the next room and sat down in her kindergarten chair before her table, to think it out.  She folded her arms and sat still about a minute:  then she ran to mamma, exclaiming.  “I know now, please get me my snub scissors” (of course she meant round-pointed) “and some bright paper, and I’ll cut and cut ever so long.”

Mamma dropped her work and got the things.  “Now, dear,” she said, “see if you can’t get along the rest of the morning by yourself.  Dolly and the picture books are in the dining room.  Don’t ask me for anything if you can help it, but keep out of mischief and be as happy as you can.”

Alice went back to her little table and soon had it covered with queer things.  There were the oddest dolls you ever saw, with arms sticking out like stems:  and there were horses with as many legs as could be put along the whole length of the body.  It was great fun to cut them.