“Well, my dear, it is a custom which I’ve read has come down hundreds of years, to send people on ridiculous errands on that day and call it an April fool. It is done all over Europe, and the Hindoos of India do exactly the same thing on the thirty-first of March. As I’ve always known it, people not only send others on foolish errands, but they often play practical jokes, silly and cruel, and actually lie to each other to fool them. It is a custom much better forgotten than kept.” “I should think so,” cried Helen. “But, mamma,” she continued, “what shall I do? The girls expect me to tell my share on Monday.” “We’ll see, dear, by and by. Go and put away your things now.” Mrs. Glenn went away after tea, and Helen began at once to coax her mother to tell her how to come up to the girls’ plans without doing anything silly or wicked. “I think, if I were you, I would spend the day surprising people with something good. Do things to help or please, and when they show their surprise say ‘April fool!’” “O, mamma! that will be delightful,” cried Helen. “Tell me some things to do.” “No, my dear, that is your business.” All that evening Helen was very thoughtful, and next day she was unusually busy. At night she declared she had never been so happy. Monday morning she met the girls, and they began to tell their jokes. “I fooled everybody around the house,” said Carrie Andrews. “I filled the sugar-bowl with salt, and papa got a big spoonful in his coffee. You ought to have seen the face he made. He didn’t more than half like it, even when I called out ‘April fool!’ I sent George out to pick up a package of sand I had dropped near the gate. I rang the doorbell and got Ann to go to the door, and there I stood and said ‘April fool.’ I sent a letter to Louise, and tied mamma’s apron-strings to her chair.” Helen listened in amazement, as one girl after another told of such silly tricks. At last they turned to her. “Well, Helen, what did you do?” “Oh! I fooled every one in the family, but I did a lot of new things,” said Helen. “What were they?” cried the girls, in chorus. “Well,” said she, in a low voice, “I got up real early, and crept softly downstairs and set the table in the dining-room, while Jane was starting breakfast in the kitchen. She ’most always has it set at night, but mamma and the sewing woman were using the long table to cut out goods when Jane went to bed. She was hurrying as fast as she could, and rushed in, and when she saw the table set she threw up both hands, and said: ‘Well, now, however did that table get set? Was it witches’ work?’ “Then I jumped out from behind the door and cried: ‘April fool!’ “‘So it is,’ she said; ‘an’ it’s a fine one you’ve given me; I’ll not forget it of you.’