If I should say that these three little Bondies loved to play, you would not think it strange, would you? Play! Why, I should not like to see children that did not love to play. I should think they were sick, or else had lost some of their senses. I have seen children that did not love to work or to study, but I never yet saw one that did not love to play. I should as soon expect to see a squirrel that couldn't jump, or a bird that couldn't fly, or a mouse that couldn't run. Yes, they loved to play; and I ought to say just here that they were willing to work and to study as far as they could. Alice and Maggie tried hard to get their lessons for school, and even little James would have studied his spelling-book if his father had not thought him too young. Alice sometimes helped her mother work in the kitchen, and Maggie thought she did the same, but I don't think her help amounted to much. Master Jimmy loved to work, also. But his work made more work for older folks. So his father thought one day, when he came home and found the young beets and parsnips all pulled out of their beds in the garden. "Who did that?" said he to the children. "I did, papa," said little James. "And what did you do that for?" "_I was working in the garden!_" was the little fellow's reply. He thought he was helping his papa. What do you think? The children had a very good place to play in, for the garden was large, and there was a good sized plot of grass; and, besides, not very far from the house there was a grove of beautiful maple-trees, under the shade of which they sometimes had a picnic. But when it rained they could not play in the garden, or on the grass, or under the trees. They had to stay in the house. Then it was that the garret was used. It was a good place to play in on a rainy day in summer. In winter it was too cold. At such times the children took some of their good toys with them from the nursery, and used them with the old toys in the garret. And though they could not go out doors, they had fine fun and frolic under the roof of the house, and made noise enough to frighten all the mice away, if there had been any there. [Illustration] CHAPTER III. FINE TIMES UP STAIRS. One Saturday in July the children had expected to take a ride with Abby Mapes and her brother Mark. Mr. Mapes's man Sam was to drive the wagon, and they were going to the "Silver Spring," as it was called, a beautiful spring of water about three miles from Mr. Bondy's house, and not far from Mark Mapes's uncle's, where the children were all expected to take tea, and Sam was to bring them home by dark. They had talked it over for several weeks; but at last, when the long-looked for day came, rain came with it. Rain was very good for the gardens, but not very good for visiting; and the children had to stay at home disappointed.