THERE was a long silence, then Alice said:
"I wish I knew what ails you children. I wish I knew why you won't eat your meals like other children." To this Robert growled:
"I'll tell you. It's because we never have anything fit to eat."
"Yes," contributed Sara, "it's because we never have anything to eat except horrid soup an' meat an' vegetables."
"I hate meat!" Robert now grumbled.
"An' I hate vegetables, every kind!" said Sara.
"You don't hate rice!" Robert told her belligerently.
"Rice ain't vegetables," was Sara's contribution to botany.
From sheer weariness Alice had let this go on. Now she gave out:
"Suppose you make out a list of the things you like to eat."
Just as she said this Tom passed the door, crying out, "When I was young, eating was considered a privilege, not a duty!"
"He had got things to eat he liked, most likely," said Sara, wagging her head sadly.
Spirit again returned to Alice. She now asserted:
"I am not telling you children to make out lists of what you want to eat just to indulge you, but I should like to know what you would like. You have what every one else has."
"Oh, no, we don't!" said Robert. "Over to Jimmy
