[Illustration: THE CHILDREN GIVING GAWOW A DANCE. ] THE SOCK STORIES, BY "AUNT FANNY'S" DAUGHTER. FUNNY LITTLE SOCKS: BEING THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE SERIES. BY "AUNT FANNY'S" DAUGHTER, THE AUTHOR OF "THE LITTLE WHITE ANGEL. " NEW YORK: LEAVITT & ALLEN, 21 & 23 MERCER ST. 1863. ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862, by S. L. BARROW, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. JOHN T. TROW, PRINTER, STEREOTYPER AND ELECTROTYPER, 60 Greene Street, New York. TO DARLING LITTLE ALLIE BABY, These Funny Little Socks ARE AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. CONTENTS OF VOL. IV. PAGE LITTLE MOTHER, 7 DOLLS AT HOUSEKEEPING, 40 THE FAIRY WISH, 102 LITTLE MOTHER. ONE day Kitty's mother called her little daughter to her, and takingboth her dimpled dots of hands in her own soft white ones, said, "Kitty, my darling, I am going to New York this morning, to see your deargrandma', and I shall have to leave the house in your charge until Icome back. Do you think you can be my little housekeeper for to-day?" "Oh yes, mamma! I should like that so much! I will keep house as well asyou--that is, 'most, not quite!" and Kitty jumped up and down for joyat being trusted with such important affairs. "You must take care of dear little Luly and Walter, you know; see thatthey have their dinners fixed right, and go out walking with them andnurse; and if any company comes, you must go down and see them, and saythat mamma has gone to New York, will you?" "Yes, mamma; I will be just as good as pie!" said Kitty, earnestly;"Luly and Wawa will like to have me for a mother, I guess. " "Yes; you are their Little Mother for to-day, " said her mamma. "I knowyou love me, Kitty, and want to save me all the trouble you can; itwill be a great comfort to me, while I am away, to feel that I can trustyou perfectly;" and she kissed the little, rosy cheek, I'm sure I can'ttell how many times, and Kitty felt so proud and happy that she onlywished she had been trusted with a much larger family of little brothersand sisters, instead of two; that she might show the more what anexcellent Little Mother she intended to be. You would wish so too, wouldn't you! yes, of course! Kitty May lived with her papa and mamma, Luly and Walter, Mary thenurse, and Betty the cook, three brown horses, two red cows, a blackdog, and a white kitten, at a beautiful country seat up the HudsonRiver. She was only eight years old, but her obedience to her parents, and tender, loving care of her little brother and sister, were beautifulto see, and a shining example to some little girls I know. On the daythat I am telling you about, her papa had gone to town, as usual, earlyin the morning, and now here was mamma going too, and Kitty would beleft to play lady of the house as grand as anything. Well, the carriage was brought to the door, and mamma got in, afterkissing her little family all round about twenty times. Everybody rushedto the front piazza to bid her good-by in their own fashion. Trip, theblack dog, jumped and barked around the horses, until they nearly kickedhim, when he sprang away, snapping out, "No, you don't! no, you don't!"Dody, the white kitten, so called by Walter for "Daisy, " mewed as hardas she could from Luly's arms. Walter crowed and chuckled, and said, "Boo-bi!" meaning good-by; Luly lisped, "Dood-by, dear mamma, _div_ my_yove_ to gan'ma;" and Kitty said, "Good-by, mamma; I'll be a famousLittle Mother--see if I'm not!" And so the carriage drove away. When it was quite out of sight, the little girls skipped and climbed, and wee Walter was carried by nurse up stairs into the nursery; andKitty said, "Now, Mary, you can just go on with your sewing; you needn'tmind us a bit. I'm going to take care of _the children_; mamma saidso. " "Very well, Miss Kitty, " said Mary; "I'll sit in the window here, and ifyou want me, you can call. " So Mary fixed little Walter in his chair, and Luly got hers, and Kittysat down in her mamma's rocking chair, to be grander. Walter's chair had a little tray fastened before it, on which his toyswere put. His dearest plaything was a ridiculous old doll, with no eyes, half a wig, such a dilapidated pair of kid arms that the stuffing camebursting through in every direction, making her look as if she had acotton plantation inside her, and the bolls were sprouting out; and suchan extremely short pair of legs in proportion to her body, that itseemed as if they must shut into her like a pair of telescopes. Besidesthis, there was a stale sugar peacock without a tail, a monkey that ranup and down a stick, and a woolly dog that could open his mouth and barkwhen you pressed him underneath; but the doll was the prime favorite, after all. Walter called her Gawow, and as nobody in the house couldimagine what he meant by it, it was supposed to be a pure piece ofinvention, and a very fine sort of thing. The children played on peaceably together for some time, when all atonce there came a ring at the bell. "Dear me!" cried Kitty, springing up and smoothing down her littleblack silk apron in a great flurry. "There comes company, and I'm to goand see them. " "Ou!" said Luly; "me want to see tompany too!" "And so you shall, you little darling!" said Kitty, kissing her; and, sure enough, up came Ellen, the waiter, to say that the good minister, Mr. Lacy, was down stairs; for Mrs. May had smilingly told her, beforeshe went, that "Miss Kitty would see any one who called. " In high glee, yet somewhat awed by her grown-up dignity, Kitty let Marybrush her soft brown braided wig and Luly's golden curly one; then sherushed into her mother's room in a hurry, called Luly out into theentry, and the little sisters took hold of hands and went down stairs tosee the company. Mr. Lacy was sitting by the window, looking out on the beautiful garden, and did not know the children had entered until he felt a mite of a handput softly on his, and heard two little pipy voices saying, "How do youdo, Mr. Lacy?" The minister turned round and burst right out laughing!for Kitty, when she ran into her mother's room, had put on--what do youthink?--why, one of mamma's caps, which was lying on the dressing table!and the queer little thing looked so funny with the lace cap perched ontop of her head, that Mr. Lacy laughed heartily, and said, "Why, Kitty!are you the old woman that lived in a shoe? or have you got bald all ofa sudden, that you have taken to caps?" "Oh, I'm Little Mother!" said Kitty; "mamma has gone to the city, andleft me to take care of _the children_, and the house, and Dody, andTrip, until she comes back; and I'm Little Mother to all of them. " "Well, Little Mother, " said Mr. Lacy, who was none of your cross, crabbed old ministers, with faces as sour as vinegar, and voices assharp as a needle, who frighten children half out of their wits, forgetful that "of such is the kingdom of heaven;" "I hope your childrenwill be well brought up, and learn all they should. What does this oneknow?" lifting Luly to his knee. "I know 'ittle hymn, " said Luly, smiling up confidently in his face. "Can't you say it for me?" asked the minister. "What is it all about?" "'Bout 'at a 'ittle child can do, " lisped Luly. "Say it, Luly, " said Kitty. Luly folded her cunning fat hands over each other, and crossed her feet. Then she looked up sideways in Mr. Lacy's face, and sucked her tongue alittle bit, and at last, all at once, in a little singing voice, shebegan: "I'm a very 'ittle maid; Hardly can I talk, 'tis true; Yet mamma I'd love to aid-- What can 'ittle Luly do? "I can go, on busy feet, Errands for her all day through; Work for her, I feel, is sweet-- This can 'ittle Luly do! "I can hold the gate long skein When 'tis tangled and askew; Never wanting to _compain_[A]-- This can 'ittle Luly do! "I can search, her book to find, And be _glad_ to do it, too! I can always _quickly mind_-- This can 'ittle Luly do! "I can ever go up stairs Cheerfully, when falls the dew; And with _yev'yence_[B] say my prayers-- This can 'ittle Luly do! "GOD will help me, if I try; He good children loves to view; Dear Lord Jesus, from on high, _Pease_ tell Luly what to do!" "Ah! that is a beautiful hymn, " said the good minister. "Don't you knowany, Little Mother?" "I am learning a beautiful hymn, " said Kitty, "but I don't know ityet--not quite. " "No?" said Mr. Lacy. "Then I shall have to tell you something myself, Ideclare. Here, sit down beside me, and listen very attentively. " Now, what do you think the minister told them? "Some dreadful, dismalstory, full of dreadful, wicked children, who were sent to prison, Isuppose; or an account of how, if _they_ ever dared to run down stairs, or look out of the window, or sneeze in church, on Sundays, they neverwould get to Heaven!" perhaps you will say. Not a bit of it. He justtrotted Luly up and down on his knee, and told them these funny verses: "Three little kittens from home ran away, Oh dear! oh dear! And did you not hear All that befell them on that day? Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly-- Did you ever hear, in your life, of such folly! "Out they ran from their mother's door, And skipped, and tripped, And danced, and dipped, Way down the road, where they'd ne'er been before! Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly, Oh deary! what _will_ be the end of their folly? "'Come let us go into this barn for mice!' 'Oh don't!' 'Oh stuff! I'm hungry enough To eat anything that is sav'ry and nice!' So quoth little Dolly and Poppledy-polly, While Dilly looked on, quite aghast at their folly! "So in it they went, quite full of their fun, And stared, and glared, And meauoed, and scared The poor little mice till they made them all run! Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly; For Dilly, I'm sorry to say, shared their folly. "But, alas! while the kittens were hunting up mice, And munching, and crunching Their smoking-hot _lunching_, A boy came and caught them all up in a trice! Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly; _Oh!_ OH! OH! what a shocking cli_max_ to their folly! "Oh, how they struggled and mewed in their fright! And scratched, and snatched At the dismal old patched Bag they were thrust into, twisted up tight! Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly; I warrant, they felt bad enough for their folly. "Soon to a stranger house they came; 'Oh, ma'! oh, ma'! Now, only see _thar_!' Their captor cried out to an elderly dame; While Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly Pricked up their ears, and lamented their folly. "'What, have you brought in a parcel of cats? Go straight to the pond And get 'em all drowned!! I won't have them here, I can tell you; now s'cats!' Poor Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly Set up a loud howl of distress at their folly! "Off scampered the boy till he came to the bank Of a very deep pool; Oh, wasn't it _cruel_! And tossed in the bag!! To the bottom it sank!!! With Dilly (oh!), and Dolly (oh!), and Poppledy-polly (oh! oh!), And that was the end of their fun and their folly!" MORAL. "So, children, I solemnly beg and implore, Whatever you do, (And you're torments a _few_, ) You'll never slip out of your dear mother's door; Or, like Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly, You'll surely be made to repent of your folly!" The children were very much amused with this woful history, bursting outlaughing without any kind of fail when Poppledy-polly, of comical memoryand name, was mentioned. Luly said, "Oh, me _yike_ that name! me want tocall Dody Popply-polly. " This made Kitty laugh more than ever, and theyhad a great time chasing Dody round the hall, and catching her, to bawlin her ears "Poppledy-polly!" by way of kindly informing her that was tobe her new name. Dody didn't seem to like it much, for she jumped out of Luly's arms witha squeal and a flourish of her long tail, and scampered off faster thanever each time. After watching them, and laughing for a while, Mr. Lacyrose to go, saying: "Good-by, Little Mother; I must go and see some of the big mothers now. Don't forget me on any account, and tell your mamma, when she comeshome, that I approve your style of housekeeping very much indeed. " "Good-by, Mr. Lacy, " said Kitty. "Thank you for your funny story. " "Tank 'ou--funny 'tory!" repeated Luly after her sister. Mr. Lacy lifted the little thing up to his shoulder, and held her therea minute, saying, "Good-by, Poppledy-polly! I hope, when I come again, you will know another hymn to say. " Luly didn't like much to be called Poppledy-polly, and she said, withan air of considerable displeasure, "My name Luly May;" but when theminister kissed her, and called her "his little lamb, " she relented, andcooed, "Me _yove_ 'ou, miniter!' Then something quite sorrowful happened; for two great tears gathered inthe minister's eyes, and came slowly rolling down his kind face. Ah! hethought of his own little pet lamb, who once lisped, too, "Me yove 'ou;"who said so now to the dear Jesus; and with that last thought camecomfort. Floy was only "sleeping"--and setting little Luly gently down, Mr. Lacy laid a hand on each childish head, saying, "God bless you, mylittle lambs, " and went quietly away. The children watched him driveoff, and then capturing Dody once more--by the end of her tail thistime--Kitty popped her in her apron; and lugged her up stairs intriumph. There they found Wawa, sitting on the floor, with an immense pair ofscissors held in both hands, and an expression of extreme horror on hisface. Mary had left the room, and Kitty, running up to her baby brother, pulled away the scissors in a great fright, exclaiming, "Why, Wawa!where did you get those?" Wawa stared astonished for a moment, his great blue eyes opened verywide indeed; then he bubbled out, "On yer fore (floor); yook! Gawow allpoil!" (spoiled); and poor Wawa puckered up his little rosy mouth, and began to cry most piteously. [Illustration: KITTY POPPED HER INTO HER APRON] Luly popped on the floor beside him in a minute, and pulling his curlyhead down on her breast, she murmured, "There--don't _c'y_, never_matter_, dear _bedder_--s'eel get well!" while Kitty lifted up poorGawow, who was indeed in a pitiable condition. Walter had ornamented herface with several deep digs of the scissors, which made her look as ifshe had been to the wars and come home with a number of bullet holes inher. Then, not satisfied with this--what does that monkey Wawa do butrip up her whole body from the neck to the waist, and shake out everybit of the bran all over the carpet! leaving the wretched Gawow withnot the least particle of insides. Did you ever hear of such a piece of mischief? But then Walter was sucha little fellow--not quite two years old; of course he didn't mean to doanything wrong, and nobody thought of blaming him; so Kitty called Maryto come and sweep up the bran, and Luly and Walter were soon happilyengaged in stuffing Gawow with rags, making her look as good as new--oras good as old, I might say; for she was such a direful object in thefirst place, that it seemed as though she must have been bought in thatcondition, and never could have been otherwise; after which theydressed her in her very best bonnet and frock, and treated her to a nicedance in the garden, all taking hold of hands; until Mary looked out ofthe window and called them to come up to dinner. Kitty was old enough, now, to dine with the grown folks, and behavedlike a perfect little lady, too; but on this occasion she was going totake early dinner in the nursery. She and Luly helped Mary pull out the nursery table, and set the threelittle plates upon it. Walter's dinner was some mashed potato, with justa tiny mite of chicken among it, minced very fine, and made into anelegant hill on his plate, and a "wishing bone" to suck. Luly had thesame, only with more chicken; and Kitty cut up her own wing and slice ofbreast, with her particular knife and fork, as nice as you please. There was a great deal of merriment over the dinner, when Walter wouldlook away just as Mary gave him a spoonful of potato, watching her outof the corner of his eye, though, and then bob round again and say"Feed!" just as she had put it down, thinking he didn't want any more. Then he insisted on making Gawow taste the wishing bone, and poked itinto both her eyes in succession, as if that was the usual way forpeople to eat things. After they had finished the chicken and potato, they had some nice custard pudding; and when dinner was over, Kittywent right to the wash stand and _cleaned her teeth_, while Luly held upher mouth to have Mary brush her little pearly teeth. Do you always dothis, little reader? If not, let me beg you to begin right away. Arethey done now? Very well, then let us go on with the story. Pretty soon after, the children were dressed to go out walking; for itwas in the early spring time when all this happened, and still pleasant, in the cold country, to take the middle of the day for going out. SoKitty and Luly had their little blue poplin "coat-dresses" buttoned on, and the soft white woollen hoods tied under their rosy faces, and Walterwas decked out in _his_ new blue coat; which pleased him so much thathe distinguished himself immediately afterward by walking all alone awayfrom the door to the window, quite across the room, and there sittingdown suddenly on the floor, much to his astonishment. At last they wereall ready and started off, Kitty and Luly hand in hand, and Walter inhis little carriage. The road they liked best led along the top of a high bank, and wascalled "Buena Vista" terrace. There were very pretty houses built alonghere, shaded by tall trees; and if the children peeped cautiously overthe iron fence that guarded the edge of the bank, they could sometimessee the steam cars rushing along the shore below. They were very fondof watching the hurrying train go by, though it frightened them alittle, particularly when the engine gave a shrill scream beforestopping at the station about a quarter of a mile further on. Kitty andLuly couldn't help squealing too when that happened, and then laughingvery much, and scampering on, playing they were steam engines. Just as they were passing by the prettiest house on the terrace, outcame a young lady that Kitty and Luly knew and loved dearly, with a"tremendous dog" stalking slowly after her. "Why, Kitty!" she cried, "is that you? Nurse, do bring the children in. I want to see them so much!" So Mary went to open the gate; but before she could do so, up marchedBuffo, the "tremendous dog, " and lifted the latch with his nose! Oh, howKitty and Luly did laugh and clap their hands! but their enjoyment andsurprise were at full height when the kind young lady, whom they calledMiss Ella, lifted Luly, and Mary held Wawa, on Buffo's shaggy back, andthe good fellow carried them both safely to the house. Wawa crowed andlaughed, and drummed with his heels against the side of his charger; butthe brave dog never tried to shake him off, and just walked gravelyalong, looking as trustworthy as possible. Then, when the littlechildren got off, Kitty mounted somewhat fearfully on Buffo's broadback, and rode all around the grass plot, laughing with delight. After that, Miss Ella made them sit down in a great rocking chair on theporch, wide enough for all three to get in at once, and asked them whatthey had been doing that morning; and then Kitty told about her beingLittle Mother, and Luly said, so funny, "Miniter tome see Luly andKitty, and tell funny 'tory 'bout Dilly, and Dolly, and Popply-polly;and 'en--and 'en I talled Dody Popply-polly, and s'e wan away!" That amused Miss Ella very much, and pretty soon she opened herwork-box, took out a paper of lemon drops, and gave Luly, and Kitty, and Wawa each a handful. Luly was a generous little puss, and wantedevery one to share her "goodies;" so she even offered a lemon drop toBuffo, when, what do you think the great black fellow did? He just puthis great fore paws on Luly's lap, opened his wide red mouth, and eat upevery one of the drops at a mouthful! Poor Luly opened _her_ mouth in rueful astonishment, and looked verymuch as if she was going to burst out crying; but Miss Ella consoled herby giving her some more drops, and Wawa thrust one of his into hermouth, saying, "Dog eat Luly's d'ops; Wawa torry. " So they talked away till it was time to go; and then Miss Ella kissedher little visitors; and Buffo wanted to kiss them too, with his warmred tongue; but Luly took good care to be out of the way this time. Iexpect the little thing thought he would eat her up like a lemon drop;so Kitty let him lick her hand instead; and then Buffo let Miss Ella putLuly and Wawa on his back again, and rode them down to the gate, wherethey bid good-by to their kind friend. Tea was ready for them when they came back, and "when fell the dew" Lulyand Kitty went "cheerfully up stairs" to bed. And now a sweet, seriousexpression came over Little Mother's face, and her great brown eyes werefilled with loving reverence, as Luly, in her little white night gown, bent her golden curls on the lap of her sister, and lisped out "Now I_yay_ me down to s'eep"--that dear, precious little verse that I thinkall the children in the world must say; and prayed "Dear Jesus" to"b'ess papa and mamma, and dear sister, and 'ittle bedder, and mate Lulydood 'ittle child;" and as Little Mother's lips were murmuring thosewords after her, the door opened, and there stood her own dear mamma andpapa, just home from the city; and oh! I can't tell you half how muchthey loved their darling ones when they saw that sweet little scene. And then there was a merry frolic with papa, who rode Luly and Wawa onboth shoulders as well as Buffo did; and a happy time with dear mamma, who brought them three great oranges from grandma', and ever so manykisses for her share; and a holy, blessed time when that dear mammaknelt by her precious Kitty's bedside, and prayed God to bless and keep LITTLE MOTHER. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote A: Complain] [Footnote B: Reverence. ] DOLLS AT HOUSEKEEPING. OF all the sweet little ten-year old maidens that ever laughed anddanced through their happy lives, I don't suppose one had such awonderful doll's house, or such a fine family of dolls, as Lina. Let medescribe the family and their residence. In one of the upper rooms of Lina's house you would see, if you happenedto walk in, another whole house built. It is two stories high: its frontis red brick; and a flight of brown stone steps, made of sand-paperglued over wood, leads up to the entrance. It has real sashes in thewindows, which open French fashion; a silver door-plate, with the nameof "Montague" upon it; and a little mat, about as large as a halfdollar, on the upper step! If we could make ourselves as small as dolls, we might walk in, and find out that the hall has a dark wood floor, somecunning little pictures hanging on the wall, a noble black walnutstaircase, and is lighted with a real little hall lamp. The parlor, on one side of this hall, has a velvet carpet on the floor, satin chairs and sofas, a centre table covered with tiny books, anétagere full of ornaments, and a wicker-work flower stand filled withflowers. Real little mantel and pier glasses are over the fire place, and between the front windows, which are hung with elegant lacecurtains; and there is, besides, a piano-forte, a gold chandelier stuckfull of china wax-candles, and a little clock that can wind up--thoughas to its going, that has to be imagined, for it obstinately representsthe time as a quarter to twelve, morning, noon, and night! On the opposite side of the hall is the dining-room. It is furnishedwith a fine side-board, holding a silver tea-set and some tiny glassgoblets and decanters; a round table, which is abominably disorderly, itmust be confessed, being spread with a table cloth all awry, and coveredwith a grand dinner of wooden chickens and vegetables of various sorts;a mould of yellow-glass jelly, and a pair of fancy fruit dishes, made ofcream candy. The dining-room chairs, with real leather seats, arescattered about, and there is even the daily newspaper thrown down onthe floor, where the master of the house may have left it! Up stairsthere are three bedrooms, furnished in the same fashionable style; and, in short, such an elegant doll's house is not to be found anywhere butin a French toy shop. This one was brought from Paris by Lina's elderbrother, and set up in this very room last Christmas as a surprise forhis dear little sister. But it is time I should describe the family wholived in this elegant mansion. So, little reader, if you will only takefast hold of the end of the author's pen, shut up your eyes tight, andthen open them very quick on this page, heigh! presto! you and she willbe turned into little personages just the size of dolls, able to walk upthe brown stone steps, enter the house, and take a peep at the Montaguefamily. On a lounge by the parlor fire sits an elegant lady, who is ratherskimpy about the wig, and therefore holds the honorable post of mamma tothe family; as this circumstance, combined with her looking excessivelyinky about the nose, gives her a somewhat aged and anxious appearance. She wears a blue silk dress with five flounces, a lace cap, and a watchand chain; and her name is Mrs. Charles Augustus Montague. Her husband, _Mr. _ Charles Augustus, is a china doll with a crop of rather scrubbyflaxen hair, which can be combed and brushed as much as Lina chooses. Although he is so rich, he has only one suit of clothes, and must evengo to parties in a pair of checked gingham trowsers, a red vest, and ablue coat with brass buttons! He is supposed to be down town at present, which circumstance is represented by his being unceremoniously thrustinto a corner upside down. Several smaller wax and china boys and girls represent the family of theill-used Mr. Montague; but the belle of the whole doll-community is hiseldest daughter, Miss Isabella Belmont Montague. She is a waxen younglady of the most splendid description; her hair is arranged like theempress', whom, indeed, she greatly resembles; her feet and hands are ofwax, and she has more dresses than I can possibly count. I am afraid youwill scarcely believe me, but she actually has a real little ermine muffand tippet, a pair of india-rubbers, an umbrella, a camels' hair shawl, and _real corsets_! and was won, with all her wardrobe, at one of theraffles in the great Union Bazaar. You went there, didn't you--youcunning little kitten? and saw all the dolls? I hope you got one too, soI do, certainly! [Illustration: LINA MAKING DOLLS' CLOTHES. ] Besides the Montague family, there is a numerous colony of other dolls;but they, poor things, live in any corner where Lina chooses to putthem; and all day Sunday are shut up in a dark closet, with nothing todo but count their fingers and toes, if they can contrive to see them;though they have nearly as fine a wardrobe--for Lina's great amusement, next to playing with the whole colony, is to make new dresses for them. One Saturday afternoon, Lina was playing with her dolls in the babyhouse, with two of her little neighbors, Minnie and Maggie Elliott, tokeep her company. It was a dark, rainy sort of day; but what differencedid that make to the children? _They_ never wanted to make a parcel ofstupid morning calls, or go out shopping and spend all their money onsilly finery; no--they were full of their play in the house, and didn'tcare a doll's shoe-string how hard it rained. "Oh, dear!" said Lina at last; "seems to me this play is getting verystupid! I wish we knew something else to play at but everlasting'house!'" "I'll tell you what would be great fun!" said little Minnie, lookingwise. "You know, Lina, we spent a week once in the country with 'AliceNightcaps;' and her sister, 'Aunt Fanny's' daughter, showed us such anice, funny play! Instead of our being mothers, and aunts, and fathers, and the dolls our children, the dolls were all the people themselves, and we moved them about and spoke for them. " "Yes, it was such a nice plan!" said Maggie; "you can't think, Lina. Suppose we divide these dolls into families, and play that Miss IsabellaBelmont Montague was going to be married, and all about it. " "Oh, yes! yes! that will be splendid!" cried Lina. "Whom will youmanage, Maggie?" "I'd rather have Miss Isabella, " said Maggie. "And I want Mr. Morris, " said Minnie. "He shall be the lover. " "Very well, then I'll make the father and mother talk, " said Lina, generously taking the less splendid dolls, without a word of meancomplaint, such as "There, you hateful thing, you always want the best;"or, "I _do_ wish I could do as I like with _my own_ dolls!" forgettingthat company must be allowed to take the best always. The other dollswere equally divided between the children, and then Lina exclaimed, witha delighted little skip in the air, "Now, we are all ready to begin!Come, girls, what time shall it be?" "Oh, have them at breakfast!" chimed both the little visitors; and so, in defiance of the parlor clock, the time of day was supposed to beeight in the morning. The children, with many little chuckling pauses, while they considered what to do next, twitched the unlucky table clothstraight, put the tea-set on the table, and gave the family a woodenbeefsteak for breakfast, and a large plateful of wooden buttered toast, which came from a box full of such indigestible dainties. Then theyfished Mr. Charles Augustus Montague out of the corner, and set himupright in a chair at the head of the table, with his newspaper fastenedin his hands, by having a couple of large pins stuck through it andthem. The points of the pins showed on the other side, and looked as ifhe had a few extra finger nails growing on the backs of his hands. Quitea curiosity he'd have been for Barnum's Museum, wouldn't he? youprecious little old toad. Mrs. Montague was seated behind the tea-tray, and Miss Isabella wasreclining on a sofa up stairs, as if she was too lazy to come down whenthe rest of the family did. As the front door was only large enough forthe dolls, the whole back of the house came away. Lina and her visitorsdelightedly sat down cross-legged on the floor behind it, and the playbegan, the children talking for the dolls. * * * * * MRS. MONTAGUE. (Lina speaks for her in a fine voice. ) I wish you wouldlay down your paper a moment, Charles; I want to speak to you. MR. M. Well, my dear, I am listening. MRS. M. No, you are not; put down the paper! [As this couldn't very wellbe done by the gentleman himself, Maggie twitched it away for him, andthrew it under the table. ] MRS. M. Now, Charles, I must say I think it is high time Isabella wasmarried. She is most six months old, I declare! and it strikes me we hadbetter see if we can find her a husband. MR. M. What you say is very sensible, my dear; so I will call to-day onmy friend Mr. Morris, and invite him to dinner. Perhaps they will fallin love with each other. MRS. M. Oh! but is he handsome, Mr. Montague? MR. M. Handsome! I should rather think so! Why, he is nearly two feethigh, with curly black hair; a nose that can be seen at the side--whichis more than yours can be, Mrs. Montague--and eyes which open and shutof themselves when he lies down or sits up. Then he is a SeventhRegimenter, too, and always wears his uniform; which makes him look verygenteel. MRS. M. Oh, I am sure he must be lovely! Do bring him to dinner thisvery day. Here Maggie made the dining-room door open, and in walked Miss Isabella. She wore a pink merino morning dress, open in front, to show herembroidered petticoat, a pair of bronze slippers with pink bows, and anet with steel beads in it. Maggie set her down hard in one of thechairs, and pushed her up to the table; while Minnie, who moved thenigger boy doll, who waited on table, picked him up by his woollytop-knot, from the floor, where he had tumbled, and made him hand theyoung lady a cup of tea. Then Maggie began: MISS ISABELLA. Dear me, mamma! this tea's as cold as a stone! I wish youwould have breakfast a little later; as I'm so tired when I come homefrom a party, that I can't think of getting up at seven o'clock. MRS. M. But you must get up, my love. Besides, we want plenty of timeto-day, so's we can be ready; for we are going to have company todinner. ISABELLA. Who is coming, mamma? MRS. M. Mr. Morris, my dear. ISABELLA. Oh, I am so glad! MRS. M. Yes, you're going to be married to-morrow, my dear; we willinvite all our relations and friends, and you must have a white satinwedding dress; you certainly must. ISABELLA. How nice! S'pose we go out and buy it now. MRS. M. We can't go to-day; it's our _eceptin_ (reception) day, youknow. MR. M. Well, I 'spect I must go down town. Good-by, my dears. I shallcertainly ask Mr. Morris to dinner. He's a very nice young man for asmall dinner party. So the children made Mr. Montague kiss his wife and daughter; which theydid by bumping his china nose against their cheeks, until it nearly madea dent in the wax; and then pranced him down the front steps, and puthim in his corner again. Then Minnie's doll came in. She took up Mr. Morris, a composition doll, in a Seventh Regiment uniform, who had been bought at a fair, and beganmoving him across the floor until he was opposite the door. Then shecommenced talking. MR. MORRIS. Why, I declare! here is Mr. Montague's house. I think Iwill go in and make a call. And he ran up the steps, and pretended to ring the bell; but as it wasonly a handle, Lina rang the dinner bell instead. MR. MORRIS. It's very funny they don't answer the bell!(Ting-a-ling-ling. ) Come! make haste, I want to get in. Here Minnie took up Toby, the black boy, carried him to the front door, and kindly opened it for him. TOBY. Laws, massa! is dat you? I was jus' tastin' de jolly, to be sureit was good for dinner! so I couldn't come no sooner. MR. MORRIS. Is Miss Isabella Belmont Montague at home? TOBY. Yes, massa, de ladies is to hum; walk in de parlor. So Mr. Morris came in (with Minnie's hand behind him), and sat down onthe sofa. It was rather small for him, and he covered it up so much thatthere wasn't a bit of room for Miss Isabella, when she came down. Maggiehad dressed her meanwhile in her green silk skirt, which had real littlethree-cornered pockets, with an embroidered pocket handkerchief stickingout of one, and her white tucked waist. Up jumped Mr. Morris, and made her such an elegant bow, that his cap, which he was obliged to keep on all the time, in consequence of thestrap being glued fast under his chin, fell all to one side; and lookedas if the top of his head had accidentally come off and been stuck oncrooked. MR. MORRIS. Good morning, Miss Isabella; how do you do? _Isabella_. Very well, thank you. How do you do, Mr. Morris? MR. MORRIS. Oh, Miss Isabella, I should be quite well if I hadn't_sitch_ a pain in my heart! ISABELLA. A pain in your heart! What makes you have that, Mr. Morris? MR. MORRIS. YOU! ISABELLA. I! MR. MORRIS. Oh, Miss Isabella, you can't think how I adore you! I loveyou so much that it makes my eyes shut up when I don't want them to;and my heart beats so that it shakes my cap all to one side! ISABELLA. Dear me, Mr. Morris, you are quite _afflitted_! but nevermind--papa is going to have you to dinner to-day; you'd better go rightdown town, so he can ask you. MR. MORRIS. But I can't eat any dinner, Miss Isabella, without you willmarry me! Here Minnie tried to make Mr. Morris pop down on his knees; but as hewasn't a jointed doll, he lost his balance, and tumbled flat on his faceinstead. MISS ISABELLA. Here, what are you doing? get up, do, and stop yournoise! [For Minnie couldn't help a long-sounding o--h! when her dollflopped down. So Maggie made the young lady catch hold of Mr. Morris'sshoulder straps and help twitch him on the sofa again, to go on with hisproposal. ] MR. MORRIS. Will you marry me, Miss Isabella? I'm such a nice youngman--you don't know--and we'll live in a real pretty house. MISS ISABELLA. No, I can't marry you till after you have come to dinner;mamma said so. MR. MORRIS. Well, then, I must wait; but only say that you will have me. ISABELLA. Oh, yes! At this point the children laid down the dolls and broke into such amerry trill of laughter, that it would have done anybody's heart good tohear them. It seemed so funny to have the dolls making love in thisfashion, they couldn't help it. As soon as they were sober again, theplay went on thus: MR. MORRIS. Well, Miss Isabella, I b'lieve I must go now; I've got anold sister at home, who will scold me if I don't come back. Can't you'vite her too? She has a pretty bad time, poor thing! 'cause she is sooldy that she is kept on a shelf till she's all dusty. Her wig isdreadful fuzzy, and some of it comes out and stands up at the top. ButI'll dust her well and stick a pin in her wig to keep it on, and makeher look real nice, if you'll only ask her. ISABELLA. Well, I guess she can come; but she must have a new dress forthe wedding. MR. MORRIS. Yes, she shall, certainly. Good-by, Miss Isabella. I'm goingdown town pretty soon, so your father can ask me to come. MISS ISABELLA. Oh yes, do! I want you to come _velly_ much. * * * * * "Now, Maggie, we must stop the play a little while, " said Lina, "and fixthe dinner for them. " "Yes, do, " cried Maggie; "let's see, what shall be for dinner?" "Oh, chicken, that's the nicest!" said Minnie. "No, they had chicken yesterday, " said Lina; "let them have roastbeef. " "Very well, " went on Maggie, who was looking over the dishes in the boxof "eatables, " as Lina called them. "Roast beef, mashed potatoes, andmacaroni. " "Oh, not macaroni, " cried Minnie; "the cheese will bite their tongues. " "Oh, yes! Mr. Morris likes macaroni, " said her sister. "Well, macaroni, then; and plum-pudding for dessert--and apples. " "Ah, make them have jelly, " said Lina; "that's the prettiest thing inthe box. " So the dinner was hunted out, and the three children set the table infine style; while Toby, the black boy, whose business it certainly wasto have done it, sat coolly in Mr. Montague's armchair, with hismaster's newspaper in his lap, and goggled at the table without movingan inch. Then Lina dressed Mrs. Montague, and Maggie and Minnie togetherdressed Miss Isabella; and nobody dressed poor Mr. Morris, or Mr. Charles Augustus Montague; because they unluckily had but one suit apiece, sewed fast on to them at that. This time Miss Isabella wore a pink silk frock, with a deep puffinground the bottom, finished at each edge with black velvet. Then she hada long pink sash, edged with two rows of narrow black velvet; a pointedbelt encircled her waist, and the body of her dress was a mass of puffs, with narrow black velvet between. On her head was a pink wreath, withlong ribbon ends hanging down her back; and tied fast to her wrist was apink feather fan with gold sticks. In fact, Miss Isabella looked ratheras if she were going to a party than coming down to dinner; but thechildren thought the pink silk so charming, that she must wear it, whether or no. Mrs. Montague wore a purple silk, a black lace shawl, and a head-dressof pink rosebuds and black lace. When the ladies were fairly seated in the parlor, Lina rang the bell, and Minnie and Maggie made Mr. Morris come in, leading his sister by thehand. She was a dismal object to behold, sure enough! and if she couldhave blushed for herself, I think she certainly would. She wore a greenbarège dress, trimmed with flaming red ribbons; some of the gathers wereout at the waist, and her petticoat showed at the bottom. Mr. Morris, or Minnie--I don't know which--had stuck the ends of her wigdown for her once, but they had come up again, and looked as if her hairhad taken to growing with the roots uppermost. The end of her nose wasblacker than Mrs. Montague's, and her eyes, which moved with a wire likeother wax dolls, had got out of order somehow, and remained stationary, with nothing but the whites showing; and, altogether, poor Miss Morrislooked like a two-legged rag-bag come home from the wars, with botheyes out, half a nose, and no hair worth mentioning. Lina made Mr. Montague come home as soon as she was rid of the dinnerbell; and after they had all shaken hands until their wax and kid andchina wrists must have ached, the company rather unceremoniously marchedright into the dining-room. I suppose Mr. Montague was tremendouslyhungry, and gave his wife's hand a good pinch when he shook it, to makeher hurry things up; but, however that may be, they were walked in todinner in straight order. Mr. Morris sat by Miss Isabella, with hisforlorn old sister on the other hand, and as the opposite side of thetable looked rather bare, Minnie proposed that some of the childrenshould come down to fill up. "Oh, yes--and let them be dreadfully naughty and do all sorts ofmischief, " said Maggie. So Miss Angelina Seraphina Montague, and MasterAlgernon Pop-eyes Montague (so called because he had glass eyes, whichstuck out in a lobster-ish fashion), were sent for in a hurry andbrought down by their nurse, a beautiful doll dressed as a French bonne, and Maggie. Algernon wore the costume of a sailor boy, and Angelina wasno other than a nun in a black robe! But never mind, they did very wellto fill up, and sat smirking at the company very genteelly. So, then, Lina made Mr. Montague begin. MR. MONT. Will you take some roast beef, Miss Morris? ALGERNON. No, papa, help me first! MR. M. Algy Pop-eyes Montague! be still! Here, Toby, hand Miss Morrisher plate. ALGY. Don't you do it, Toby! MRS. M. Hush up, you naughty boy! MR. M. Mr. Morris, here's some meat for you. MRS. M. Take some macaroni, Mr. Morris; it's real good. MR. MORRIS. Thank you, ma'am; I think I will. So the company were helped; though, as the meat and vegetables wereglued fast to the dishes they were on, I'm afraid they must have hadrather a slim dinner. Then Maggie went on. MISS ISABELLA. Mr. Morris, I think I am rather tired of that uniform ofyours; it makes you look too high in the neck. When we are married, youought to have a dress coat. ANGELINA. H-a! h-a-a-a! he hasn't got any other coat! _I_ wouldn't marryan old goose with only one suit! MRS. M. For shame, Miss! your father hadn't but one when we weremarried; but, bless me! what _is_ Algernon doing? Sure enough, Master Algy _was_ doing something extraordinary, for Maggiehad made him overset the dish of potatoes in the middle of the table, and then jump up and sit on the back of his chair, with both legs in theair! MRS. M. My pasence! _what_ a naughty boy! Toby, take this bad boy rightup stairs; I am socked! (shocked. ) ALGY. Oh, boo-hoo! boo-hoo! please let me stay! MRS. M. Well, then, behave yourself. MISS MORRIS. Mrs. Montague, I think you had _better_ send your childrenaway; they are too bad for anything. ANGELINA. Oh! oh! I wouldn't be your child for a dollar! ("That's justwhat I say to my big sister!" put in Maggie in her proper person. ) MRS. M. Oh, they are dear little things; they only do it in fun, MissMorris. MR. MORRIS. Well, I don't see it. If they were my children, I shouldlock them up in a dark closet. MISS MORRIS. So should I. ANGELINA. H-a! h-a-a-a! that's just where you are kept yourself! MISS MORRIS. Oh, I _shall_ faint! MRS. M. Angelina! you sha'n't have any pudding for being so bad. There, I guess it's time for dessert, "--and without condescending to ask if thecompany were through dinner, Mrs. Montague, with a wave of herlily-white kid hand, ordered Toby to clear away the dishes; and, thepudding and jelly being put on the table, Lina went on: MR. M. Miss Morris, have some plum-pudding? TOBY. No, take some ob de jolly, missis; he so _jolly_ good! _I_ tasteum! Mr. M. Toby, I am _astonissed_! I shall have to discharge you to-morrow. "And have an Irishman come!" cried Minnie; "and talk funny, like ourPatrick!" "Yes, that will be real fun!" said Lina. "There, they have had dinnerenough; let them go in the parlor now. " Accordingly, the company had their chairs pushed back for them and weretaken into the parlor, all but the naughty children, who had to be sentstraight to bed, they were so bad. Mr. And Mrs. Montague tookpossession of the arm chairs, as they were the oldest; Miss Morris wasaccommodated with an uncommonly hard ottoman without any back, in thecorner; Mr. Morris plumped down on the sofa, as that was the only seatlarge enough for him, and the play went on (Minnie speaking). MR. MORRIS. Miss Isabella, I wish you would sing us a song. ISABELLA. Oh, really, I have _sitch_ a bad cold. I don't think I can. MR. MORRIS. Oh, please do, Miss Isabella! Sing that pretty song aboutthe little milkmaid. ISABELLA. Well, I'll see if I can. So Maggie made the young lady take a funny little scrap of music out ofthe stand (called a Canterbury), and put it on the piano. The title ofthe piece on the outside was, "Souvenirs de l'Opera, " which means inEnglish "Recollections of the Opera, " but it did just as well for asong. Miss Isabella was seated at the piano, and Maggie moved her handsup and down the keys, to look as if she were playing; while in her ownsweet bird-like voice she sang for her this song: "'Where are you going, my pretty maid? Where are you going, my pretty maid?' 'I'm going a milking, sir, ' she said, 'I'm going a milking, sir, ' she said. "'May I go with you, my pretty maid? May I go with you, my pretty maid?' 'Yes, if you please, kind sir, ' she said, 'Yes, if you please, kind sir, ' she said. "'What is your father, my pretty maid? What is your father, my pretty maid?' 'My father's a farmer, sir, ' she said, 'My father's a farmer, sir, ' she said. "'Oh, then may I marry you, my pretty maid? Then may I marry you, my pretty maid?' 'Yes, if you please, kind sir, ' she said, 'Yes, if you please, kind sir, ' she said. "'What is your _fortune_, my pretty maid? What is your _fortune_, my pretty maid?' 'My _face_ is my fortune, sir, ' she said, 'My _face_ is my fortune, sir, ' she said. "'Oh, then I _can't_ marry you, my pretty maid! But then I _won't_ marry you, my pretty maid!' 'Nobody asked you, sir!' she said, 'NOBODY ASKED YOU, SIR!!' she said!" The dolls all clapped their hands very hard when Miss Isabella finishedsinging, as if they liked it "first rate. " Mr. Morris leaned back so farin his seat, either from admiration or because he was slipping off, that his eyes suddenly shut up, and opened with a queer little popinside of him when Minnie righted him. As to Miss Morris, she glared atthe company with her old white eyeballs as if she was looking downinside of herself to see how the pudding had agreed with her. Then Maggie went on. MISS ISABELLA. There! how do you like _that_? MR. MORRIS. Oh, thank you, Miss Isabella; it's the sweetest song I everheard. MRS. MONTAGUE. Won't you sing us a song, Mr. Morris? MR. M. No, I believe I must go now. I have all my things to pack up, sowe can start off travelling right away. Come, sister, stick the roots ofyour hair in, and open your distressed looking eyes, and let us be offhome. "I wonder if her eyes _will_ open?" said Maggie. "Let's try!" said Lina. "Give the wire a good, hard pull. " As she spoke, she caught hold of the wire and gave a tremendous jerk, when, dreadful to relate, POP! out came poor Miss Morris's eyescompletely! and tumbled down somewhere inside of her! leaving two greatholes in her head of the most fearful description! The children stared at her in round-eyed astonishment. Now she wascertainly too hideous to come to the wedding; and the little girlstried to look as sorry as they could for her, but it was no use; MissMorris was such a ridiculous object, that they all three burst into fitsof laughing. Lina, who had hold of the poor thing, shook so with glee, that the eyes rattled up and down inside her head like a pack ofcrackers going off, which made the children laugh still more. At last Minnie contrived to check herself, and made the brother say, rather unfeelingly: Mr. Morris. There you go with your eyes out! A pretty figure you've madeof yourself. Miss Isabella. Oh! _oh!!_ OH!!! OH!!!! MRS. M. Goody, Isabella's got the hysterics! Get some water, quick! whatshall I do? MISS MORRIS. Oh, my eye! my eye! it's _sich_ a pain! MR. MONTAGUE. Toby, bring some water this minute. TOBY. (_Minnie brings him in with a pitcher. _) Here, massa, here dewater. My! see de ole woman wid her eye out! ha! ha! MRS. M. Toby, put down that water, and go 'way. Minnie accordingly made believe that Toby was pouring water right on thefloor; then she turned the pitcher upside down in his hand, and spokefor him. TOBY. Dere de water, missis. MRS. M. Oh! it's all over the carpet! How dare you, Toby? TOBY. Why, missis, you _told_ me to put down de _water_! MRS. M. Oh, I shall go distracted! MR. MORRIS. Come, sister, I 'spect you'd better go home and send forDoctor Bumpstead! Maybe he can fish up your eyes again, and stick themin right side out. A--h! good-by, Miss Isabella, good-by, Mrs. Montague! ALL THE DOLLS IN CHORUS. Good-by, a--h! "Oh! did ever anybody have such a funny play before!" cried Lina, fairlydropping Miss Morris, and clapping her hands with delight. "I meanalways to play in this way. " "Yes, it is so nice!" said Minnie. "But, come, Lina, how shall we dressMiss Isabella to get married?" "Oh, she has a wedding-dress all ready, " replied Lina; "white silk withlace over. " "Splendid!" cried both the sisters. "Now, if Mr. Morris could only have a plain suit, he would look so muchmore like a bridegroom. " "Well, perhaps sister will make him one, " said Lina; "but what shall wedo with poor Miss Morris?" The recollection of Miss Morris's mishap set them off again laughing;and finally they decided that she might come to the wedding, but mustkeep her handkerchief to her eyes all the time, as if she were quiteovercome by having her brother married; as well she might be, for howwould her two holes instead of eyes compare with Miss Isabella BelmontMontague's charms? This point settled, Lina and her little visitors were just beginning toreview the other dolls, to see who would look best at the wedding, whena knock came at the door, and in walked Mary, Lina's nurse, to say thatMinnie and Maggie were sent for! "Oh, what a pity!" cried Lina. "I wish you could stay all day, and allnight, and all the rest of the time. It's too bad!" "Oh, that the afternoons were forty-'leven times as long!" said Maggie. "Well, we must go, I suppose. Good-by, Lina; we'll come Mondayafternoon, if mamma will let us; and finish the play. " So the children kissed each other, and Minnie and Maggie were bundled upin their warm coats and hoods, and went home. As soon as they were gone, Lina ran to her sister Alice with Mr. Morris, and begged her to make hima suit of black to get married in, as Miss Isabella had expressed herpreference for that style of dress. Alice kindly promised she would, andthat very evening she hunted up some black cloth that was left from acloak of her mother's, and in a few hours Mr. Morris was rigged out inthe last style of fashion. Here is his carte de visite, taken in hiswedding clothes. You see, the photograph man left his own hat on thetable by mistake; doesn't it look funny? [Illustration: Portrait of Mr. Morris. ] It was past Lina's bedtime before Mr. Morris was completely dressed; butshe was allowed to sit up "just this once, " and when he was finished, she kissed Alice a great many times, carried him off in triumph, andshut him up tight in a box, for fear his clothes should get tumbled. Monday afternoon, Minnie and Maggie came again, bringing with them adear little wax doll of Minnie's, and a great paper of sugar-plums, to"play party" with. When Mr. Morris had been sufficiently admired in hisnew clothes, the children collected the other dolls, and put theMontague family in their house again. Mr. Montague was left all alone inthe parlor to receive the company, and the ladies were up stairs in thefront bed room. Miss Isabella's wedding dress was spread out on theelegant French bed, all ready for her to wear; and as it is a well-knownfact that a fashionable lady cannot possibly get dressed in less thanthree hours, the time was put at nine o'clock, as the wedding would takeplace at twelve. Lina then began the play: MRS. MONTAGUE. Come, my dear, it is time for you to dress; you've onlygot three hours to get all ready in. MISS ISABELLA. Yes, mamma, I am putting on my shoes now. (That is, Maggie was putting them on. ) Oh, dear! they are a great deal too tight!they hurt me _dreadfully_. Please let me take them off. MRS. M. No, they are not; they are a beautiful fit; don't be silly, Isabella. ISABELLA. I think you are real mean! There, they are on; now I must puton my dress. Here Maggie made her stand up, and Lina put on her dress and fastenedit. ISABELLA. Oh, my! what a beautiful dress! Can't I keep it on all thetime, mamma? MRS. M. Why, no; of course not! This is your wedding dress. ISABELLA. Well, then, I mean to get married over again next year, so Ican wear it some more. MRS. M. Now I must put on your veil, my dear, and then you will be allready. Here Maggie clapped her hands to express Miss Isabella's joy, while Linaput on the veil. ISABELLA. Oh, how pretty I look! MRS. M. Don't be vain, Isabella. There, you are dressed; sit down now, while I get ready. So Miss Isabella sat down with her new frock sticking out all aroundher, like a perfect balloon, a most magnificent creature to behold! Herdress was made of white silk, trimmed all round the bottom with deepblonde lace, which was finished at the top with narrow silver cord. Itwas looped up on one side with a bouquet of white flowers, with silverleaves, and her waist was covered with a blonde lace bertha, and had abouquet of the same flowers on the front, called a _corsage_. She wore alace veil and a wreath of orange blossoms, and in her hand, tied fastthere, was another large bouquet, and a lace-bordered pockethandkerchief. As to Mrs. Montague, she was hardly less splendidlyattired, in a mauve silk with eleven flounces, a lace collar andsleeves, and a superb diamond breastpin--made of glass. Well, dear me, I don't know how I can find room enough to describe allthe splendid ladies that came to the wedding. They were none of themquite as elegant as Miss Isabella Belmont Montague, but they all had ontheir Sunday-go-to-meeting, Fourth-of-July, Christmas-and-New-Year'sbest clothes, and looked as fine as fiddles. Poor Miss Morris came, withher handkerchief up to her eyes, and stayed so all the time, crying asif her heart would break, I presume. She was so dismal, in her old greenbarège, that Minnie kindly dressed her in Mrs. Montague's purple silk, which fitted her quite well; so she didn't look so _very_ bad, afterall. Aren't you glad? I am. Pretty soon in came the minister, who was no other than Angelina! as herblack nun's robe was the most like a gown that could be found; and whenshe was set up with her back against the centre table, the parlor dooropened, and in marched the bride and bridegroom. Minnie and Maggie heldthem in their proper places, and the minister married them in rhyme;which, it strikes me, was a new style. This was what he said: "Now you're married, you must obey; You must be true to all you say, And live together all your life; And I pronounce you man and wife!" When the marriage ceremony was over, the children set Mr. And Mrs. Morris down side by side on the sofa, and leaving them to entertain thecompany, and talk for themselves if they could, got the supper ready. It was such a grand supper that they were obliged to have a table fromup stairs besides the dining table. Everything in the box of eatableswas brought out, even the roast beef and buttered toast, two dishes notordinarily seen at suppers. The sugar-plums were disposed aroundwherever room could be found, and when everything was ready, Minnie tookToby to the parlor door and made him say: TOBY. Ladies and gentlemens, please to come to supper, Plum cake, and cream cake, and white bread and butter. Up jumped Mr. Morris in such a violent hurry that he nearly tumbledover, and offered his arm to his bride; which Minnie made him do bybending it round, and pinning his kid hand fast to his waistcoat. Maggie and Lina made the rest of the company walk after them inprocession, as fast as they could lift them up; and they all pranced andparaded round by the back of the house into the dining room. Only poorMiss Morris was left out, and she had tumbled off her chair, and waslying behind the piano, on the top of her head, with one leg stickingstraight up in the air like an awning post, and the other footapparently boxing her ears, as it was turned back in a mostextraordinary manner, till it touched her head. Meanwhile, there were fine times going on in the dining room. Mr. Montague took the foot of the table, and the bride and groom the head. As soon as they were all seated, Mr. Montague said: MR. MONTAGUE. Ladies and gentlemen, don't you think we'd better drinkthe bride's health? Here, Toby, give the company some wine glasses. MRS. M. Dear me, ladies, what a pity! there's only six goblets; so therest will have to drink out of teacups! ALL THE DOLLS (or all the three little girls, whichever you please). Oh, never mind; that doesn't make any _difference_. MR. MONT. The bride, ladies and gentlemen! ALL THE DOLLS. Mrs. Morris! hurray! hurree! hurror! MRS. M. Now, Isabella, it's time for you to change your dress, my dear. You are going travelling, you know. ISABELLA. Oh, what a pity! I don't want to take it off a bit! But, of course, she had to. It wouldn't have done to go travelling in awhite silk dress, would it, you dear little poppet? So Maggie took Miss Isabella (for they called her either that or Mrs. Morris by turns, indifferently), away from table, and dressed her in hergray travelling dress, which was trimmed with black velvet and smallsteel buttons. Then she put on her second best bonnet, with a blue veil, and her India-rubbers, in case it should be damp, and locked up thewedding dress in her trunk, which was about as large as a candle box, had a real little lock and key, and her initials painted on the side. When she was all ready, down she came again, to take leave of herrelations and friends, who had eaten up all the wooden refreshments bythis time (though, strange to say, the dishes seemed as full as ever), while Minnie, Maggie, and Lina eat up the sugar plums; and poor MissMorris sucked her thumbs, I suppose, for not a speck of anything elsedid she get. There was a great time bidding good-by, and so many hard noses werebumped against the bride's cheek this time, that they made a dent, whichlooked quite like a dimple, and improved her appearance very muchindeed. As to Mr. Morris, nobody took the slightest notice of him, as isusually the case with the bridegroom, but he didn't seem to mind it inthe least; for he went on smirking at the company as blandly as ever. Perhaps he didn't want people's noses making holes in _his_ face; youwouldn't want them made in _yours_, would you? you dear little PinkeyWinkey! Bless your heart! there's dimples enough in that cunning facealready. But now the carriage was brought round to the door, for Mr. And Mrs. Morris to go on their travels. It was made of--ahem!--tin, and was drawnby two dashing tin horses, with tails like comets, and manes likewaterfalls, and such a great number of bright red spots painted allover them, that they looked as if they had broken out with a kind ofscarlet measles. The bride and bridegroom were put in their places, the big trunk washoisted up in front, and away they went! and travelled all the way downthe entry to the head of the stairs, and through sister Alice's room tothe fireplace! My! what a long journey! 'most a hundred miles, I shouldthink! that is, it would seem so to dolls. Thus ended the grand play of Miss Isabella Belmont Montague's wedding, which had taken two whole afternoons to finish, and which the childrenthought the most _interestingest_ play that ever was. If you want toknow what became of her after that, I advise you to go right to Lina'shouse and ask how Mr. And Mrs. Morris come on with their housekeeping!That's all there is of this story--BOO!! THE FAIRY WISH. ONCE upon a time there lived a little old man, with his little old wife, in a little old house that ran on wheels. Did you ever? Well, I neverdid. The reason why the little old house ran on wheels was, that the littleold man used to keep a monkey show in it, and drove it about for acaravan; with an old white horse, that had a blind eye, to draw it; butnow the monkeys were all dead and buried, and the little old man andwoman lived all alone-ty-donty. It had bright green blinds, bright redsides, a bright blue door, and bright yellow steps. On the bright bluedoor there was a bright brass knocker, which was polished up at such arate that you could see your face in it, looking as l-o-n-g as anything;and underneath that was a bright brass door plate, with the oldshowman's name, "Timmy Timmens, " on it, which was also polished up untilyou could see your face in it, looking as b-r-o-a-d as anything. Did you_ever_? Well, I _never_ did! Inside there was a rag carpet of all the colors of the rainbow; a littleold four-post bedstead, with a patchwork counterpane; two high-backedrocking chairs, with patchwork covers over the backs; a table with anoil cloth cover, that had a little old tea tray on it, set up againstthe wall; two bright brass candlesticks, and a china tea set; and in onecorner was a glass cupboard, which contained the other plates anddishes. Hung against the wall over the mantlepiece was a sampler workedby Mrs. Timmy Timmens when she was a girl, which represented Noah's ark, with all the animals, of exactly the same size, done in cross stitch, insuch bright grass-green worsted that it quite set your teeth on edge tolook at it. Besides these, there was a little round stove, with a longstove pipe, that came out on top of the caravan, and ended with aflourishing weathercock, representing a fat old woman in a high gale, with her umbrella turned inside out; which moved when the smoke camepuffing up harder than usual, and had no connection whatever with anywind that blew. Now, Mr. Timmy Timmens and his wife, being mighty simple old people, were fond of reading fairy stories, and believed entirely in every wordof them. They hadn't the smallest doubt that sprites and fairies were ascommon as peas this very minute, and would have thought it quite amatter of course if a wonderful gift had suddenly tumbled down the verystove pipe, or a beautiful lady come bursting through the wall, andoffered to carry them off to fairy land in a mother-of-pearl chariot, drawn by milk-white doves. If a cat looked hard at her and mewedpiteously, the little old woman would sigh, "Well, this _is_ fairy work, I'll bet a crooked sixpence! She looks like an enchanted princess, poorthing! don't she, Timmy, dear?" If a donkey brayed louder than usual, and seemed more obstinate than ever before, the little old man wouldexclaim, "There, I told you so! an unfortunate young man, of surpassingbeauty, enchanted in this dreadful shape by a wicked fairy! That's plainto be seen! No wonder he utters such cries of distress!" and then theyboth groaned together, and waggled their heads, and blew their noses soexactly in time with two yellow silk pocket handkerchiefs, that peoplethought two fishmen must be blowing their horns at once. Did _you_ever? Well, _I_ never did! [Illustration: THE OLD MAN AND WOMAN LOOKING FOR FAIRIES. ] One fine morning the little old man and woman went out to take a walk onthe common; for the house stood right beside the road, in an empty fieldof scrubby grass, with no fence round it. Just behind the house, to besure, was a paling, which enclosed a garden about as big as a good-sizeddining table, where the little old man and woman grew one or twocabbages, two or three tomatuses, three or four potatuses, and four orfive radishes, for their own eating; but all the rest was just opencommon. The old woman had a large basket in her hand, all ready to popdown over any fairies she might see lying asleep in a bluebell, and theold man was leaning heavily on his stick, as he was rather feeble, and, besides, had the rheumatism in his big toe. "Dear me, Timmy, " said the old woman, "what a good thing it would be, now, if we could only find a kind fairy who would move our house for ussomewhere nearer the village. Now that poor old Dobbin is dead--killed, I've no doubt, by a wicked enchanter--we can no longer get around fromplace to place without stirring a step from the house; and we are so faraway, that we can't walk over to take tea with any of our neighbors. Dolet us keep a sharp lookout as we walk along, and see if we can't finda fairy ring or a fairy flower. " "With all my heart!" said Tim; and so they tottered along, peering veryhard into all the bushes, and hurrying to examine every little patch ofgrass that looked greener and brighter than the rest, in the hope thatit was a fairy ring. All at once, the little old man stopped short, andpointed with his stick at a beautiful spray of foxglove. "There!" cried Mr. Timmens. "Where?" cried Mrs. Timmens. "Right before your eyes!" said the little old man. "Don't you see it? Afairy foxglove, as my name is Timmy Timmens!" "My goodness gracious, stars, and what's-his-names!" cried the littleold woman; "so there is! as sure as my name is Polly Timmens!" So the little old man and woman hurried up to the flower, and aftertrying a great many times to stoop down, making their old joints cracklike so many torpedoes, Mrs. Polly succeeded in plucking it, and offthey went, pell-mell, hurry-scurry, to the little old house that ran onwheels, to consult their fairy story books, and see what was the rightthing to be done in such a case! _Did_ you ever? Well, I never _did_. Down sat the little old man in _his_ rocking chair with the patchworkcover, and down sat the little old woman in _her_ rocking chair withthe patchwork cover; and after a long consultation of the "Sorrows ofPrince Popinjay, " and the "Wonderful History of the Princess LillieBulero and the Fairy Allinmieyeo, " they discovered that the proper wayto do was to hold the fairy foxglove in your hand exactly as the clockstruck twelve, at noon, and say "Rorum corum torum snoram, Highcum tickleme cockolorum!" seven times; then shut your eyes tight and wish, stand on one leg andturn round three times, and, presto! you would find, when you openedyour eyes, that your wish was accomplished! "Dear me!" cried Mrs. Polly Timmens when her husband had finishedreading this wonderful charm; "how lucky it is that we should be theones to find the fairy foxglove! just as we were wishing, too, forsomething of the sort. Let me see, it is half past eleven now, Ideclare! Timmy, my dear, I'll go into the garden and gather two or threetomatuses and three or four potatuses for dinner, for it would be ashame to leave our fine vegetables behind; and then, as the clockstrikes twelve, we'll try the fairy spell, wish that our house was inthe village, and see what comes of it. " So the little old woman, taking a small basket off a nail, and a sharpknife in her hand, went into the garden to gather the vegetables. Downshe plumped beside the bed, and began to dig and cut at the potatusesto get them up. Her back was turned to the house, and the tall stalksand thick leaves of the tomato bushes quite hid it from her view whenshe sat on the ground, for she was a teeny-tawny little old woman. Whileshe was thus engaged, the little old man was sitting inside with thebook open in one hand, for fear he should forget the charm, and thefairy foxglove tight in the other, waiting impatiently for her return. The hands of the clock kept getting nearer and nearer to twelve, and atlast there was only one moment wanting to the time. "Why, goodness gracious me!" cried Mr. Timmy Timmens; "has Polly forgotall about the fairy wish? I declare, I have a great mind to beginalone. " Just as he said these words, the clock began to strike! and atthe same moment a tremendous hullabaloo arose on the road. "There comethe fairies!" squeaked the little old man; and without waiting anothersecond, he stood straight up in the middle of the floor, and said, in atrembling voice: "Rorum corum torum snorum, Highcum tickleme cockolorum!" seven times over; then, shutting up his eyes as tight as possible, stoodon one leg, and cried, "Please, good fairy, Polly and I wish our housewas in the middle of the village!" Hardly had he said these words, than a long red object, that lookedwonderfully like a cow's tail, suddenly whisked in at the half opendoor; the wind caught the door, and shut it to, slam! bang! and with ajerk that made the bright brass knocker give a tremendous double knockon the bright blue door, and sent the bright tin saucepans scattering inevery direction, the house started suddenly down on the road on adouble-quick trot! Did you EVER?! Well, I NEVER did!! It happened that a large drove of cows and oxen were going down tomarket that day, and being very hot, and tired, and thirsty, theynaturally objected to being driven in that way any longer, and commencedcutting a variety of capers that were enough to frighten you out ofyour wits. At last one irascible little bull, who had been riding on theother ones' backs, charging at all the innocent ducks, geese, and pigshe could find on the road, and finally had tossed one of the men whowere driving him right up in the air, dashed on ahead, and, seeing thelittle house with the bright red sides, took the color as a personalinsult to himself. Down went his head and up went his heels, and inanother minute he would have bounced right into poor Mr. Timmy Timmens'dwelling, when one of the drivers saw him, and rushing up, gave him agood whack with his whip. Master Bull turned round to see what was topay; in an instant his tail was caught in the door as I told you, and, frightened half out of his wits, he galloped off, dragging thelittle house on wheels after him, and roaring with pain, while thedrivers looked on, roaring with laughter. [Illustration: THE MAD BULL. ] Meanwhile, the little old man remained standing on one leg, not daringto open his eyes, for fear the charm would be broken, and only wishingthat the little old woman were with him. At last the house stopped, moving with another jerk, that sent the little old man toppling back inhis rocking chair, and a moment afterward the door was opened a littlebit, and a strange voice said, "Well, here we are at the village, oldgentleman, begging your pardon, " and then all was silent. Up jumped the little old man, opening his eyes very wide this time, hobbled to the door, and looked out. There, sure enough, he was, in thepleasant, shady village street, with the church directly opposite, sonice for Sundays, and nothing to be seen but a drove of cows and oxengoing down the road at some distance! "Well, was there ever anything known like this?" cried Mr. TimmyTimmens. "If this isn't the most wonderful fairy doings I ever heard of!I must go right off to find Polly, and tell her the happy news. " So saying, he went down the bright yellow steps, carefully shut thebright blue door behind him, and toddled off as fast as he could to thecommon. Now the little old woman, before she had finished digging up thepotatuses, found the sun very warm and herself very sleepy, and thinkingher husband would be sure to call her when twelve o'clock came, she justgot under the shade of the tomatuses, and went off in a nice nap. Whenshe woke, she jumped up in a hurry, exclaiming, "Why, bless me--howcould I have forgotten about twelve o'clock? I must make haste into thehouse this minute. " But where was the house? The little old woman staredall around until she nearly stared her eyes out, but it was nowhere tobe seen. "Why, my goodness gracious, stars, and what's-his-names!" squealed thelittle old woman, letting fall her knife and basket; "where has thehouse runned to? Timmy must have tried the fairy charm without evertelling me! I mean to go right to the village and see if it is there. " So she gathered up her basket and knife, stuffed the basket, and herapron, and her pockets with all the vegetables she could carry, andstarted off for the village. Before she was half way there, however, shemet her husband. "Where is it?" "There it is!" they called at the samemoment, and falling into each other's arms and a mud puddle, they stoodfor a long time, saying by turns: "Did you ever?" "No, I never!" "Wouldyou believe it?" "Not 'less I see'd it!" and then they took hold ofhands and trotted off to the little house that ran on wheels. There they found it, all high and dry, under a big apple tree, lookingas nice as ninepence. With joyful hearts they hurried inside, picked upthe saucepans, and cooked all the tomatuses and potatuses for dinner, with an apple dumpling for dessert, made of some of the apples that hadfallen off the tree; and after that, the little old man and the littleold woman, and the bright green blinds, and the bright red walls, andthe bright blue door with the bright brass knocker, and the brightyellow steps, all lived in peace and the middle of the village, believing more firmly than ever in the existence of fairies, and neverdoubting that their house had been moved solely by the miraculous powerof the fairy spell, "Rorum corum torum snorum, Highcum tickleme cockolorum!" And if they're not dead they live there still! Don't you believe it?Well I NEVER did! THE END OF THE FOURTH BOOK. * * * * * Transcriber's Note: Obvious punctuation errors repaired. Page 18, the indentation of the third line on the stanza that begins, "Ican go, on busy feet" was adjusted to match the rest of the poem'slayout. The original looked like: "I can go, on busy feet, Errands for her all day through; Work for her, I feel, is sweet-- This can 'ittle Luly do! Page 50, "_himed" changed to "chimed" (chimed both the little) Page 68, "barege" changed to "barège" (barège dress, trimmed) Page 74, there is a closing quote after Mrs. Montague speaks. Although there is no opening quote, the closing quote indicates thatshe's no longer speaking so it was retained. Page 76, "acommodated" changed to "accomodated" (Miss Morris wasaccomodated) Page 104, "litle" changed to "little" (little old tea tray) Page 105, "throught" changed to "through" (through the wall)