MISS KATY-DID AND MISS CRICKET. 43 



" Well, they are in great trouble ; all their stores de- 

 stroyed, and their father killed, cut quite in two by a 

 hoe." 



" How very shocking ! I don't like to hear of such dis- 

 agreeable things, it affects my nerves terribly. Well, I 'm 

 sure I have n't anything to give. Mamma said yesterday 

 she was sure she did n't know how our bills were to be 

 paid, and there 's my green satin with point-lace yet to 

 come home." And Miss Katy-did shrugged her shoulders 

 and affected to be very busy with Colonel Katy-did, in 

 just the way that young ladies sometimes do when they 

 wish to signify to visitors that they had better leave. 



Little Miss Cricket perceived how the case stood, and 

 so hopped briskly off, without giving herself even time to 

 be offended. " Poor extravagant little thing ! " said she to 



herself, "it was hardly worth while to ask her." 







" Pray, shall you invite the Crickets ? " said Colonel 

 Katy-did. 



" Who ? I ? Why, Colonel, what a question ! Invite 

 the Crickets ? Of what can you be thinking ? " 



" And shall you not ask the Locusts, or the Grass- 

 hoppers ? " 



" Certainly. The Locusts, of course, a very old and 

 distinguished family ; and the Grasshoppers are pretty well, 

 and ought to be asked. But we must draw a line some- 

 where, and the Crickets ! why, it 's shocking even to 

 think of!" 



