"Mamma," she said, "there's oh! _such_ a big bundle on the hall-table."
"And with writing on it," said Daisy. "I fink the writing says, Miss Daisy Ransom, with somebody's respects."
"No," said her mother, smiling: "it says John Ransom, Esq."
"No, it means papa," answered her mother.
"Are you going to open it, mamma. Papa is away."
"No, we'll leave it till papa returns. He will be here to-morrow evening."
"I don't fink it's a good plan to wait. It makes people tired," said Daisy, plaintively.
"But it is right to wait when papa did not tell us to open it," said Mrs. Ransom. "Little girls must not be too curious."
"Is it kurous to make a little hole in the paper and peek in?" asked Daisy, after a moment or two of deep reflection.
"Yes, curious and very naughty," said Mrs. Ransom. "That would be meddlesome. Ask Nellie to tell you a story she knows about a meddlesome girl."
Daisy obeyed, but with less alacrity than usual, lingering for three or four moments longer about the parcel; although, with the fear of being thought "curious and meddlesome," she did not venture to touch it. At last with a long sigh she departed.
Meanwhile Nellie and Carrie were opening the various boxes, jars, &c., and inquiring into their contents.
"I wonder what's in this," said Nellie, who was standing on a chair, and reaching down things from a shelf. "I thought I heard something rustle in it. There it is again. Why! I wonder if there's any thing alive in it," and she looked with some trepidation at a wooden box which stood on the shelf before her. The lid was not shut down quite tight, and again as she looked at it came that rustle from within.
Nellie took up the box rather gingerly; raised the lid a little, just enough to peep within; then, with an exclamation, quickly closed it again.
"Why! what is it?" asked Carrie, gazing up at her.
"There are mice in it, and one almost jumped out," answered Nellie, crimson with the little start and excitement, although she was not in the least afraid of mice. "I'm not quite sure, I had such a little peep; but I think there's a big one, and some little tiny ones."
"How do you suppose they got in?" asked Carrie.
"I expect the cover has been left partly open, and then they have gnawed a place large enough to pass in," said Nellie, turning the box around in her hand. "See here," and she showed Carrie where the lid was gnawed away.