"'Rob March! you can move those hair-brushes just as often as you please: it won't make the least difference. I shall move them right back again into this drawer, if it's every day of your life till you're fifty years old!' "'I sha'n't live with you when I'm fifty,' said Rob: 'so you'll have to leave off before then. And I won't have the hair-brush box in the drawer. It doesn't look bad on the top of the bureau; and I want it where I can get at it easy.' "'I'll take it out for you,' said Nelly, 'as often as you want it, if you're too lazy; but it's going to be in the drawer.'" Mr. March laughed heartily. "Well, wasn't Nelly right?" he said. "If I recollect right, the box is a shabby old box, much better out of sight." "Oh! of course you'd take Nelly's part," said Mrs. March, half playfully, half in earnest. "Well, which won?" said Mr. March. "Oh, Nelly, of course. She always does," replied Mrs. March. "I'm glad of it," laughed Mr. March. And there the conversation dropped. The next day Nelly followed her father out to the barn after breakfast. "Papa," said she, "I want to ask you something." "What is it, little daughter?" he replied. "If I could get four dollars each time I went to Rosita, and should go twice every week, how much would that be in a year?" said Nelly. "Four hundred dollars, my child," replied Mr. March. "Is not that a good deal of money?" said Nelly: "wouldn't it buy almost all we want?" "It would buy enough food for us to eat, dear," said Mr. March: "not much more than that." "Well, Rob could get a good deal for trout too," said Nelly, resolutely: "he's going to fish, next week: and they're forty cents for one pound; and I'm going to take Rob up with me, the next time, and show him how to sell things. It is very easy." "Do you like it, Nell,--really like it?" said her father. "Oh, yes!" replied Nelly; "it's splendid! It's the nicest thing I ever did. I like to see the people, and to count the money; and then it is so nice to help too, papa! Oh! you will let us help: won't you?" "Yes, my child, we will let you help us this summer, because we are really very poor just now; but I hope next year we will not be in such straits. You and Rob are dear, good children to want to work. Papa will never forget it." Nelly put her hand in her father's, and walked along in silence by his side for a few minutes. Then suddenly catching sight of Rob in the field, she exclaimed:-- "Oh! there's Rob going down to the creek now to fish. I will go and tell him it is all settled. I can help him fish. I shall put the grasshoppers on the hook: I hate it, and I said I'd never do it again; but now that it's for the money, I shall." And she ran off as fast as she could, to join Rob. All that morning Rob fished and Nelly stuck grasshoppers on the hook for him. At noon, they were miles away from the house: they had followed up the creek without noticing how far they were going.