I ask no questions, always finding it best to wait and watch, and learn for myself; but when Dempster asked me if I would like to go down to a watering-place in New Jersey, I asked him if there wasn't Croton Water enough in the pipes for all the horses they kept. Dempster laughed, and said it was salt water he was thinking of, and asked, right on that, if I had got a bathing-dress? "A bathing-dress," says I. "Goodness, gracious, no. When I bathe, as a general thing, I--that is--I take off--" Here I broke off, and felt myself turning red. I declare, Cousin Dempster has a way of putting things upon you for explanation, which I, as a single lady, with expectations, of course, find embarrassing. Just then, E. E. came in, all of a flurry about her trunks; she wanted more and must have 'em, she said. Seventeen Saratoga trunks, and a basket or two, were just nothing to what she needed. Dempster must go out and get half a dozen more. Why, her fluted skirts alone filled three trunks. Dempster went. To own the truth, he is an obedient creature as ever wore coat and--well pocket-handkerchiefs. It wasn't long before a lot of trunks--big enough for country school-houses--were piled into the hall, and then Cousin E. E. began to revel. Her bed was crowded and loaded down with skirts, dresses, shawls, bonnets, round hats, broad flats, peaked caps. You never saw such heaps and mountains of clothes; such a litter of small things; such stacks of boots and shoes. It really seemed as if she was fitting out an army of feminines. Even Cecilia was down on her knees packing, and E. E. was deep in a high trunk with her slippers half dropping from her feet as she punched things in and pressed them down. The help, black and white, kept running up and downstairs like hens with their necks wrung. Every few minutes there came a ring at the door, and paper-boxes and bundles were set down in the hall, and struggled upstairs when any of the help thought it worth while to bring them, which was once in about ten minutes, all morning. I think Dempster made a cowardly attempt to get out of the way, but it was of no use. On such occasions men are wanted, especially when the bills come in, and E. E. knows her privileges. LXXVI. THE DOLLY VARDEN. As I stood looking on, wondering if cousin really meant to turn the house inside out, and set up a village of trunks somewhere on the sea-shore, that hard-working creature lifted her face, and looked at me deploringly. "Oh, Phœmie," says she; "are you packed? How cool you look." "Packed," says I; "oh, yes; I always keep my pink silk folded." "But your summer things, are they ready? Surely you'll have a Dolly?" "No," says I; "its years since I have thought of a doll, and I haven't the least idea of going back to my play-house days." "But I mean a dress," says she, lifting her head out of the trunk, and wiping the swe--well, perspiration from her face. "A Dolly Varden. Don't you understand?"