[Illustration: JOHNNY'S REVENGE. Page 163. ]

[Illustration: Title Page]

 _DOTTY DIMPLE STORIES. _

 DOTTY DIMPLE AT HOME. 

 BY SOPHIE MAY, AUTHOR OF "LITTLE PRUDY STORIES. "

 Illustrated. 

 BOSTON: LEE AND SHEPARD. 1870. 

 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by

 LEE AND SHEPARD, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 

 ELECTROTYPED AT THE BOSTON STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY, NO. 19 SPRING LANE. 

 _TO_

_FLORENCE BICKNELL. _

 DOTTY DIMPLE STORIES. 

To be completed in six vols. Handsomely Illustrated. Each vol. , 75 cts. 

 1. _DOTTY DIMPLE AT HER GRANDMOTHER'S. _ 2. _DOTTY DIMPLE AT HOME. _ 3. _DOTTY DIMPLE OUT WEST. _ 4. _DOTTY DIMPLE AT PLAY. _ 5. _DOTTY DIMPLE AT SCHOOL. _ 6. _DOTTY DIMPLE'S FLYAWAY. _

 BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 

 LITTLE PRUDY STORIES. 

Now complete. Six vols. 24mo. Handsomely Illustrated. In a neat box. Per vol. , 75 cts. Comprising

 _LITTLE PRUDY. _ _LITTLE PRUDY'S SISTER SUSIE. _ _LITTLE PRUDY'S CAPTAIN HORACE. _ _LITTLE PRUDY'S COUSIN GRACE. _ _LITTLE PRUDY'S STORY BOOK. _ _LITTLE PRUDY'S DOTTY DIMPLE. _

CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER PAGE

 I. THE LION AND THE LAMB. 7

 II. A SAD STORY. 25

 III. FIRE. 40

 IV. PLAYING HINDOO. 54

 V. RUNNING WILD. 68

 VI. HOW IT ENDED. 82

 VII. TELLING OF IT. 98

VIII. MAMMA AND "LITTLE ME. " 112

 IX. THE NEW HOME. 125

 X. A SURPRISE. 140

 XI. JOHNNY'S REVENGE. 155

DOTTY DIMPLE AT HOME. 

CHAPTER I. 

THE LION AND THE LAMB. 

Dotty Dimple, after a night of pleasant sleep, greeted herself in themorning with a groan. It was as if she had said, --

"O, dear! _you_ here again, Dotty? Why didn't you sleep longer?"

Prudy noticed the cloud on her sister's face in a moment; she saw shehad "waked up wrong. "

Now I have never told you how peculiarly trying it was to live withDotty Dimple. She seemed to have, at the same time, the nature of a lionand a lamb. When the lion raged, then her eyes blazed, and she lookedas if she belonged in a menagerie; but when nothing occurred to rouseher wild temper, she was as gentle and tender as a little lamb friskingby its mother's side on a summer's day. 

Indeed, if I were to describe the loveliness of her manners, and thesweetness of her face, I ought to dip my pen in liquid sunshine;whereas, the blackest of ink would not be at all too dark to draw herpicture when she was out of temper. 

In her earliest childhood it had been worse than it was now. Then shehad not tried in the least to control herself, and the lion had had hisown way. After one of her wild outbursts, she would follow her motherabout the house, saying, in a soft, pleading voice, --

"Say, mamma, is I your little comfort?"

Before answering Dotty, the poor mother had to call to mind all the goodthings the child had ever said or done, and fancy how dreadful it wouldbe to lose her. Then she would reply, --

"Yes, Dotty, you are mamma's dear little girl; but mamma doesn't likeyour naughty, naughty ways. "

This failed to satisfy Miss Dimple. She would cry out again, inheart-broken tones, --

"Is I your little comfort, mamma? _Is_ I?"

So, sooner or later, Mrs. Parlin was obliged, for the sake of peace, tokiss the child, and answer, "Yes. " Then, perhaps, for twenty-four hoursthe lion would be curled up, asleep, and out of sight in his den, andthe lamb would be playfully frisking about the house, a pet foreverybody. 

But often and often, when Susy and Prudy came in from school or play, they found their baby sister in disgrace, perched upon the wood-box inthe kitchen, with feet and hands firmly tied. There she would sit, throwing out the loudest noise possible from her little throat. It wasthe young lion again, roaring in his cage. 

Prudy, though her heart swelled with pity, dared not say, --

"Don't scream so, little sister! Please don't pound so with your feet!"

For when the lion fits were on, it was always safest to let the unhappychild alone. Prudy, who had no more temper than a humming-bird, andSusy, who was only moderately fretful once in a while, were made veryunhappy by Dotty's dreadful behavior. At such times as I describe, theyeven looked guilty, and cast down their eyes, for they could not helpfeeling their sister's conduct as a family disgrace. They never spoke toany one about it, and bore all her freaks with wonderful patience. Whenthe little one plucked at their hair or ears, they said, pitifully, --

"It's worse for her than it is for us. It makes her throat _so_ sore toscream so. "

They were especially careful never to provoke her to wrath. Perhaps, forthe sake of peace, they yielded to her too much. If there was anythingDotty dearly loved, it was her own way; and the thing she most heartilydespised was "giving up. "

At the time of which we now write she was no longer a mere baby, and her"reasons, " as Prudy had said, were "beginning to grow. " She was neverplaced on the wood-box now, with hands and feet tied; and as forpulling hair, she was ashamed of the practice. 

On this particular morning she had "waked up wrong. " You all know whatthat means. Perhaps her dream stopped in the most interesting place, orperhaps some of the wonderful machinery of her body was out of order, and caused a twitching of the delicate nerves which lie under the skin. At any rate, when the cloudy sun peeped through the white curtains ofDotty's pleasant chamber, he found that little lady out of sorts. 

"There, now, how long have you been awake, Prudy? Why didn't you speak?"

"O, it isn't anywhere near breakfast time, Dotty; Norah hasn't groundthe coffee yet. "

"Then I should think she might! She knows I'm hungry, and that makes herbe as slow as a board nail!--I'll tell you what I wish, Prudy. I wishthe whole world was a 'normous cling-stone peach, so I could keep eatingfor always, and never come to the stone. "

"I don't know, " replied Prudy, pleasantly. "I believe I'd rather have ita Bartlett pear--dead ripe. "

"H'm! You may have your old _Bartnot_ pears, Prudy Parlin; nobody wants'em but just you! The next sweet, juicy peach that comes into this houseI'll eat it myself, 'cause you don't like peaches; you just said youdidn't!"

Prudy was considerate enough to make no reply. By living with Dotty, shehad learned many lessons in "holding her peace. "

"Perhaps we'd better get up, " suggested she, rubbing her eyes. 

Whereupon Dotty pursed her little red lips. 

"Let's play keep house, " answered she, for the sake of beingcross-grained. 

"Well, I don't care much, " said Prudy, anxious to keep the peace. 

They proceeded to make a tent of the upper sheet, and converse upon thetrials of this troublesome life, as Mr. And Mrs. Carter, the two headsof a family. 

"There's our Sammy, " said Prudy, dolefully, "our poor Sammy. I don'tsee, Mrs. Carter, what we shall do with that boy. Within a day or two hehas taken to stealing acorns!"

"Acorns!" responded Dotty, in a tragic tone. "O, Mr. Carter, I _sejest_the best thing we can do is to stand him up in the sink, and pump wateron him!"

"I never thought of that, my dear wife! You are prob'blycorrect!--prob'bly correct. --But what course _shall_ we pursue with MaryAnn, and Julia Ann, and Anna Maria? They all bite their fingernails--bite 'em down to the double-quick. "

"I would sejest, sejest--why don't you give those children some_proxitude_ of iron, my dear--through a knitting-needle? Hark!"continued she, as Prudy scratched the top of the tent with herforefinger. "There's a mouse in this house, Mr. Carter: you must set atrap as quick as you can spring!"

"Very correct, " replied the obedient husband, "very correct, Mrs. Carter. I'll call Jerusha to toast some cheese. Je-ru-_shay_!"

"What do you mean by Jerusha, Mr. Carter? We haven't any in the house. "

"O, she is our chambermaid, my dear. "

"But I won't '_low_ her to be Jerusher, Mr. Carter!"

"But, my dear wife, Jerusha is a proper name; it belongs to her. "

"No, it isn't a proper name either; it's a very _improper_ name, PrudyParlin; and if you call her Jerusher so, I'll get us both _dis-vosed_!"

Prudy saw it was useless to continue the game: Dotty was not in a moodto be satisfied. The two children arose and dressed themselves, Prudytaking peculiar care not to finish her own toilet first. 

"I'm going to tell you something, " said Dotty, grimly, "but you mustn'ttell mamma. I've made up my mind to be naughty!"

"To be naughty?"

"Yes, that's what I said--naughty! I'm tired all out o' bein' good!First thing I thought was, I'd be bad all day. I want to fret, and I'mgoing to fret!"

"O, Do-otty! Dotty Di-imple!"

"You needn't say anything, Prudy Parlin. You can talk as grand as awhale. But if I want to go and be naughty, _you_ can't help yourself!"

Prudy's face took on a look of real distress. What this little queermixture of a girl might do, if she really chose to be naughty, it wasnot pleasant to fancy. 

The two went down stairs together. As they entered the cheerfuldining-room, the joyous sun burst into a round smile, as if he hadthrown off his yesterday's vapors, and never meant to be low-spiritedagain. But Dotty looked foggier than ever. 

It was a delightful room. The wallpaper was the color of rich cream;the pictures were beautiful; the table, with its snowy cloth and whitedishes, was pleasant to the eye; still, it was not so much the objectsto be seen as it was the "air" of the room which made it seem sodelightful. You knew at once, as you looked at the people who gatheredaround the table that morning, that they all loved one another; andfamily love makes any house seem like home. 

Grandma Read was there in her plain Quaker cap, with the nicely-starchedkerchief crossed upon her bosom; Mr. Parlin in his drab dressing-gown, lined with crimson; Mrs. Parlin in a print wrapper, with a linen collarat the throat, her hair as smooth as satin; the three little girls allneatly dressed, and all happy but Dotty. Susy's mocking-bird hung in acage by one of the windows, and "brother Zip" was lounging in anarm-chair, catching flies. 

After everybody was comfortably seated, and had said "Good morning, "then a "silent blessing, " according to the custom of the Friends, wasasked upon the food. All sat with folded hands, and eyes reverentlyfixed upon their plates. Dotty knew very well they were asking to bemade thankful for the excellent breakfast before them. She repeated toherself several times the sentence she had been taught; for, in spite ofher intention to be naughty, she dared not omit it. When Mr. Parlinbegan to pass the butter, she was still looking at her plate, andstartled the whole family by saying aloud, "Amen!"

Grandma looked at the little girl with surprise and disapproval. Dottyblushed painfully. She had not meant to be irreverent. Next moment shethought, --

"Now they all s'pose I did that _to purpose_! I don't care if they do!I'll act worse'n that! I wonder what my father'd say if I should jumpright up and down, and scream?"

It certainly was not safe to try the experiment. Dotty contented herselfby scowling at her dry toast. 

But after her father had gone away to his business, and her mother hadbegun to make preserves in the kitchen, she went down cellar, into thewash-room, and began to tease Norah. Norah, who was fond of the child, and in general very good-natured, was not in a mood this morning to betrifled with. 

"Indeed, Miss Flippet, " said she, indignantly, "I shall put up with nomore of your pranks! It's not your sister Prudy who would go to hidin'my soap, and me in a hurry!"

"She likes Prudy best. I always knew she did, and everybody else, "thought Dotty, wrathfully, --"everybody else but me!"

And the temper which had been smouldering all the morning blazed uphotly. 

"Call me Miss Flippet again, if you dare!" cried she, with battle-firesin her eyes. "What you s'pose the mayor'll do to you, miss? He'll putyou in the lockup--yes, he will!"

At this foolish speech Norah's mouth assumed a mocking smile, whichadded live coals to Dotty's wrath. 

"You mizzable Cath'lic girl! You--you--you--"

Words were choked in the smoke and flame of her anger. I mean to saythat dreadful "lion, " which had not come out in his full strength foryears, suddenly sprang up, and shook his mane. Dotty could not speak. She lost her reason. Her head was on fire. Her hands and feet began tofly out. She danced up and down. Her terrific screams brought her motherdown in haste, to see what was the matter. Dotty's face was crimson; hereyes shining fiercely; her voice hoarse from screaming. 

"Indeed, ma'am, " said Norah, really alarmed, "I've no means of knowingwhat's put her in such a way, ma'am. "

"She called me everything!" cried Dotty, getting her voice again. "I wasMiss Flippet! I was all the wicked girls in this town!"

Norah looked a little mortified. She knew her mistress was very"particular, " and did not allow any one in her house to "call names. "But just now Mrs. Parlin had no time to give Norah a mild reproof, herwhole attention being devoted to the half-insane Dotty, whose mostunusual exhibition of temper filled her with dreadful apprehensions. 

"Alas, " thought the good mother, "is this child going to live over againthose dreadful days of her babyhood? The Lord give me wisdom to knowwhat to do with her!"

Mrs. Parlin soon succeeded in quieting the turbulent Dotty; and deepsilence fell upon the wash-room. 

"My dear little girl, " said she, very gently, "I desire you to spend therest of the morning alone. You need not talk or play with either of yoursisters. You may _think_. When the bell rings you may come to dinner;and after dinner I would like to see you in the nursery. "

In half an hour Dotty had such a look of heartache in her face thatPrudy longed to comfort her, only speech was forbidden. The littlecreature was out in the front yard, poking dirt with a stick, andsecretly wondering if she could make a hole deep enough to lie down inand die. 

CHAPTER II. 

A SAD STORY. 

After dinner, Mrs. Parlin was seated on the lounge in the nursery, looking very sad. Raising her eyes, she saw Dotty standing before her, twisting a corner of her apron. The child had entered as quietly as herown shadow, and her mother had not heard a footfall. 

"My dear little girl, I am going to tell you a story. "

"Yes, 'm. "

Dotty looked steadily at her finger-nails. 

"A true story about a child who let her temper run away with her. "

"Yes, 'm, " replied Dotty again, giving her mother a view of her rosyright ear. 

Mrs. Parlin saw that Dotty was very much ashamed. Her face did not lookas it had looked in the early morning. Then

 "There was a hardness in her eye, There was a hardness in her cheek:"

now she appeared as if she would be very much obliged to the nurseryfloor if it would open like a trap-door and let her fall through, out ofeverybody's sight. 

"The little girl I am going to tell you about, Dotty, lived in thisstate. Her name was Harriet Snow. Her father and mother were both dead. She had occasional fits of temper, which were very dreadful indeed. Atsuch times she would hop up and down and scream. "

Dotty tied the two corners of her apron into a hard knot. The story wasrather too personal. 

"Was the little girl pretty?" said she, trying to change the subject. 

"Not very pretty, I think. Her skin was dark; her eyes were black, andremarkably bright. When I saw her, she was thirteen years old; and youmay know, Dotty, that by that time her face could not well be verypleasant: temper always leaves its marks. "

Dotty looked at her little plump hands, as if she expected to see blackspots on them. 

"Sometimes Harriet beat her head against the wall so violently thatthere seemed to be danger of her dashing her brains out. "

Dotty looked up quite bravely. This dreadful little girl was worse than_she_ had ever been! O, yes!

"Wasn't she crazy, mamma?"

Mrs. Parlin shook her head. 

"No, I am afraid not, dear. Only, when she allowed anger to stay in herheart, it made her feel blind and dizzy. Perhaps she was crazy for thetime. "

Dotty hung her head again. She remembered how blind and dizzy sheherself had felt while screaming at Norah that morning. 

"This little girl had no mother to warn her against indulging hertemper. When she had the feeling of hate swelling at her heart, nobodytold her what it was like. _You_ know what it is like, Dotty?"

Dotty's chin drooped, and rested in the hollow of her neck. 

"I don't want to tell you, mamma. "

"Like _murder_, my child. "

Dotty shuddered, though she had known this before. Her mother had oftenread to her from the Bible, that "whosoever hateth his brother is amurderer. "

"Well, there was no one to love this poor Harriet; she was not lovable. "

"No, 'm, she was _hateable_!" remarked Dotty, anxious to say something;for if she held her peace, she was afraid her mother would think she wasapplying the story to herself. 

"There was no one to love her; so a woman took her, and was paid for itby the town. "

"Town? Town, mamma? A _town_ is _houses_. "

"She was paid for it by men in the town. I don't know whether this womantried to teach Harriet in the right way or not. It may be she had somuch to do that she thought it less trouble to punish her when she wasnaughty than to instruct her how to be good. "

"O, yes; I s'pose she struck her with a stick, " said Dotty, patting herforefingers together--"just this way. "

"Harriet had the care of one of Mrs. Gray's children, a lively littleboy about two years old. "

"Was he cunning? As cunning as Katie Clifford? Did he say, 'If you loveme, you give me hunnerd dollars; and I go buy me 'tick o' canny'?"

"Very likely he was quite as cunning as Katie. You would hardly thinkany one could get out of patience with such a little creature--wouldyou, my daughter?"

"No, indeed!" cried Dotty, eagerly, and feeling that she was on safeground, for she loved babies dearly, and was always patient with them. 

"I don't know but Harriet was envious of Mrs. Gray's little boy, becausehe had nicer things to eat than she had. "

"Well, it ought to have nicer things, mamma, 'cause it hadn't anyteeth. "

"And she got tired of running after him. "

"No matter if she did get tired, mamma; the baby was tireder than shewas!"

"And the parents think now it is very likely she was in the habit ofstriking him when nobody knew it. "

"What a naughty, wicked, awful girl!" cried Dotty, her eyes flashing. 

"She had a fiery temper, my child, and had never learned to control it. "

Dotty looked at her feet in silence. 

"The baby was afraid of his little nurse; but he could not speak to tellhow he was abused; all he could do was to cry when he was left withHarriet. But one day Mrs. Gray was obliged to go away to see her sickmother. She charged Harriet to take good care of little Freddy, and givehim some baked apples and milk if he was hungry. "

"With bread in?" suggested Dotty. 

"Yes, I suppose so. Then she kissed her baby. He put his arms around herneck, and cried to go too; but she could not take him. "

"I s'pose he cried 'cause he 'xpected that awful girl was a-going toshake him, " said Dotty, indignantly. 

"I cannot tell you precisely what Harriet did to him; but when thefather and mother got home, that darling boy was moaning in great pain. They sent for the doctor, who said his spine was injured, and perhaps hewould never walk again; and, indeed, he never did. "

"O, mamma! mamma Parlin!"

"Yes, my child; and it is supposed that Harriet must have hurt him inone of her fits of rage. "

Dotty's face had grown very white. 

"O, mamma, what did the folks do with Harriet?"

"They took her to court, and tried her for abusing the little boy. Theycould not prove that she was really guilty, though everybody believedshe was. "

"I know what 'guilty' means, mamma; it means _hung_. "

"No, dear; if she hurt the baby she was guilty, whether she was punishedfor it or not. "

"Well, she did it, I just know she did it!" exclaimed Dotty, greatlyexcited. "That little tinty boy!"

"The judge pitied her for her youth and ignorance; so did the twelve mencalled the 'jury;' and she was allowed to go free. "

"Then did she 'buse somebody's else's baby, mamma?"

"I hope not. The last I heard of her she was married to a negrofiddler. "

"O!"

"Do you know why I have told you this sad story, my little daughter?"

"'Cause, 'cause--Harriet beat her head against the door, and hurt ababy, and--and--married black folks!"

Dotty was very pale, and there was a tear in her voice; still her mothercould not be sure that her words had made much impression. She wasafraid her long story had been "love's labor lost. "

But I believe it had not been. Not entirely, at least. Dotty thought ofHarriet all the afternoon, and walked about the house with a demurenessquite unusual. 

"O, Prudy!" said she, when they two were alone in the parlor, lookingover a book of engravings, "I'm going to tell you something; 'twillmake you scream right out loud, and your hair stick up!"

[Illustration: "I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. " Page 34. ]

"Don't, " laughed Prudy, "I've just brushed my hair. "

"Once there was a girl, Prudy, lived in this state; and mother thinksshe was just like me. But she wasn't, truly. She was homely; and herhair was black; and her mother was dead. The woman spatted her with astick where she lived. And she didn't love the baby any at all, 'causehe had nicer things, you know; and I guess white sugar and verserves. Soshe stuck a _spine_ into him--only think! In his crib! So he neverwalked ever again! And his father and mother were gone away, and toldher to give him baked apples and milk--with bread in!"

"Why, that can't be true, Dotty Parlin!"

"Yes, _indeed_! Certain true, black and blue. Guess my mother knows!"

"What!" said Prudy, "just for baked apples and milk?"

"Yes. Her name was Harriet. "

"What did you say she did it with, Dotty?"

"Mamma said a _spine_. They took her to the court-house; but they didn'thang her, 'cause she--I've forgot what--but they didn't. They made hermarry a black man--that's all I know!"

"Well, there, how queer!" said Prudy, drawing a long breath. "If I wasHarriet I'd rather have been hung. Was he all black?"

"Yes, solid black. But I s'pose she didn't want to choke to death anymore'n you do. "

"Dotty, " said Prudy, with a meaning in her tone, "what do you supposemade mamma tell you that story?"

"I don't know. "

Dotty looked deeply dejected. 

"Little sister, " continued Prudy, taking advantage of the child'ssoftened mood, "don't you wish you didn't let yourself be so angry?"

"Yes, I do, so there!" was the quick and earnest reply. 

Prudy was astonished. It was the first time this proud sister had everacknowledged herself wrong. 

"Then, Dotty, what if you try to be good, and see how 'twill seem?"

"Won't you tell anybody, Prudy?"

"No, never. "

"Well, I _will_ be good! I can swallow it down if I want to. "

Observe what faith the child had in herself!

Prudy clapped her hands. 

"There, don't you talk any more, " added Miss Dimple, with a sudden senseof shame, and a desire to conceal her emotions. "Let's make pictures onthe slate. "

Prudy was ready for anything; her heart was very light. She was too wiseto remind Dotty of her new resolution; but she kept a journal, and thatevening there was a precious item to make in it. 

I think, by the way, that Prudy's habit of keeping a journal was anexcellent thing. She learned by the means to express her thoughts withsome degree of clearness, and it was also an improvement to herhandwriting. 

 "_July 2d. _ My sister Dotty thinks, certain, positive, she _will_ be a good girl; and this is the day she begins. But I shall not tell anybody, for I promised, 'No, never. '

 "My mother told her about a girl that almost killed a dear little boy because they asked her to give him baked apples and milk. I heard my father say to my mother that he thought the story pierced Dotty like _a two-leg-ged_ sword. So I don't think she will ever get angry again. Finis. "

Prudy always added the word "Finis" at the close of her remarks eachday, considering it a very good ending. 

CHAPTER III. 

FIRE. 

For a few days after this, Dotty Dimple had little time to think of hernew resolution. Nothing occurred to call forth her anger, but a greatdeal to fill her with astonishment and awe. 

The three little girls, for the first time in their lives, were learninga lesson in the uncertainty of human events. They had never dreamed thatanything about their delightful home could ever change. If they thoughtof it at all, they supposed their dear father and mother, and theirserene grandmamma Read, would always live, and be exactly as they werenow; that their home would continue beautiful and bright, and therewould be "good times" in it as long as the world stands. 

It is true they heard at church that it is not safe for us to set ouraffections too strongly upon things below, because they may fail us atany moment, and there is nothing sure but heaven. Still, like mostchildren, they listened to such words carelessly, as to something vagueand far away. It was only when they were left, in one short day, withouta roof over their heads, that Susy sobbed out, --

"O, Prudy, this world is nothing but one big bubble!"

And Prudy replied, sadly, --

"Seems more like shavings!"

You all know how an innocent-looking fire-cracker set Portland ablaze, but you can have little idea of the terror which that woeful Fourth ofJuly night brought to our three little girls. 

When I think of it now, I fancy I see them speeding up and down thatdeparted staircase, trying to help the men carry water to pour on theroof. The earnestness of their faces is very striking as Susy brandishesa pail, Dotty a glass pitcher, and Prudy a watering-pot, in the delusivehope that they are making themselves useful. 

After this, when the children have had a troubled sleep, and wake in themorning to find the house actually on fire, the horror is somethingalways to be remembered. Flames are already bursting out of some of thelower windows. It is no longer of any use to pour water. There is notime to be lost. Mrs. Parlin hurries the children down stairs, and outof the house, under their grandmother's protection. 

They thread their dismal way up town, through smoke and flame, Susyshedding tears enough to put out a common coal fire. It is, indeed, abitter thing to turn their backs upon that dear old home, and know for acertainty that they will never see it again! In the place where itstands there will soon be a black ruin!

"The fire is lapping and licking, " says Prudy, "like a cat eatingcream. "

"I hope it has a good time eating our house up!" cried Dotty, in wrath. 

Susy groans. Dotty thinks they are going to be beggars in rags and jags. Prudy, always ready with her trap to catch a sunbeam, says that afterall there are other little girls in the world worse off than they are. Susy thinks not. 

"O, children, you are young and can't realize it; but this is awful!"

Dotty tries to be more wretched than ever, to satisfy her eldestsister's ideas of justice. She sends out from her throat a sound ofagony, which resembles a howl. 

Prudy's chief consolation is in remembering, as she says, that "Godknows we are afire. " Prudy is always sure God will not let anythinghappen that is _too_ dreadful. She has observed that her mother is calm;and whatever mamma says and does always approves itself to this seconddaughter. 

But Susy can only wring her hands in hopeless despair. She has helpedsave the books, still she "expects they will burn up, somehow, on theroad. " Her pony has been trotting about through the night; his hair issinged, and she "presumes it will strike in and kill him. " The worldis, to Susy's view, one vast scene of lurid horrors. If she couldn'tcry, she thinks she should certainly die. 

But this strange night came to an end. Dreadful things may and do happenin this world, but, as a general rule, they do not last a great while. The fire did its work, and then stopped. It was fearful while it raged, and it left a pitiful wreck; still, as Mrs. Parlin said, it was "not sobad but it might have been worse. " "Nothing, " she always declared, "ought to make us really unhappy except sin. "

"And here we are, all alive, " said she, with tearful eyes, as she triedto put her arms around the three little girls at once. "All alive andwell! Let us thank God for that. "

"I guess I shan't cry _much_ while I have my blessed mother to hold onto, " said Prudy, pressing her cheek against Mrs. Parlin's belt-slide. 

"Nor I neither, " spoke up Dotty, very bravely, till a sudden spasm ofrecollection changed her tone, and she added, faintly, "If 'twasn't formy cunning little tea-set!"

"I shouldn't care a single thing about the fire, " sobbed Susy, "if ithadn't burnt _our_ house up, you know. You see it was where we _lived_. We had such good times in it, with the rooms as pleasant as you canthink! Nothing in the world ever happened: and now that pony! O, dear, and my room where the sun rose! I don't know what's the matter with me, but _seems_ as if I should die!"

"And me, too, " sighed Dotty. "I just about know that man threw mytea-set into the Back Cove; and now we haven't any home!"

"It is home where the heart is, children, " said Mrs. Parlin, tenderly;but something choked her voice as she spoke. 

Though she was never known, either then or afterwards, to murmur, stillit is barely possible she may have felt the loss of her precious home asmuch as even Susy did. 

For the present the family were to remain at Mr. Eastman's; and it wasin the parlor chamber of that house that Mrs. Parlin and her threechildren were standing, glad to find themselves together once more, after the night of confusion. 

Grandma Read, who was as patient as her daughter, "tried to gather intostillness, " and settle herself as soon as possible to her Bible. But thechange from the Sabbath-like quiet of her old room to the confusion ofthis noisy dwelling must have tried her severely. 

Mr. And Mrs. Eastman, and Mr. And Mrs. Parlin, were busy enough frommorning till night, day after day, searching for missing goods, andaiding the sufferers from the fire. The Eastman mansion was left to thetender mercies of the five children--the Parlins, and Florence, andJohnny. 

Master Percy would probably look insulted if he were to be classed amongthe children. In his younger days he had had his share in ringingpeople's door-bells and then running away; now, in his maturer years, hedid not scruple to tease little folks, when they could be "tickled witha straw" held under the chin, or when they were easily vexed, andanswered him back with an angry word or a furious scowl. He liked totorture his "cousin Dimple. " He said she shot out quills like a littleporcupine. She was a "regular brick, " almost as smart as Johnny, andthat was saying a great deal; for Percy regarded the youthful Johnny asa very promising child. He was sorry to have him corrected for triflingfollies. If Percy had had the care of him, the little fellow would nothave lived long, for the older brother quite approved of such amusementsas crossing pins on the railroad track, running under horses' feet, and walking on the dizzy roof of a house. 

Mr. Eastman was always very busy, and his wife had a deal of visiting todo, so it usually happened that Johnny had more liberty than was goodfor him. 

Mrs. Parlin knew this, and did not like to have Dotty thrown very muchin his society, but just now it certainly could not be avoided; Dotty'sconstant desire to "get out doors and run somewhere" seemed to be fullygratified, for Johnny despised the inside of a house more than she did, and they both roamed about during the day like a couple of gypsies. 

Sometimes Prudy went with them, but their games were rather rough forher taste. Susy and Florence were generally together, painting withwater-colors, pasting scrapbooks, and doing a variety of things inwhich they did not care to have Prudy join. The dear little girl mighthave been lonely, and possibly grieved, if she had been anything but a"bird-child. " As it was, she sang when she had no one to talk with, and, whether the rain fell or the sun shone, always awoke with a smile, andfound the world as beautiful as a garden. 

She amused herself by writing in her little red journal, which had comeout of the fire unharmed. Here is her account of the tragedy:--

 "_July 7th. _ I ought to tell about the fire; but I can't write with mother's pen any more than Zip can write with a sponge. 

 "I am so sorry, but a boy fired a cracker. He didn't mean to burn up the city at all. He just touched it off for fun. 

 "There was going to be a procession, but I believe it didn't _process_. I never saw anything whiz and crack so in all my life! The fire danced and ran all over the city as if it was alive! It burnt just as if it was glad of it. The trees are all black where the green was scorched off. You wouldn't think it was summer. It doesn't look like winter. Father says it looks like a graveyard. 

 "Dotty lost her tea-set. Susy thought she should faint away, but she didn't--we couldn't find the camphor bottle. A man saved six eggs and the pepper box. 

 "It was real too bad _grandma's_ room was burnt up! When I went into grandma's room I used to feel just like singing. Mother says that isn't so bad as wickedness. She says it is 'home where the heart is. '

 "Dotty hasn't had any temper for five days. Finis. "

Just about this time a letter came from Willowbrook, saying Mrs. Clifford was quite ill, and asking Mrs. Parlin to go to her. Aunt Louisasaid it was fortunate that the children could stay at their auntEastman's. She did not know that Mrs. Parlin left them there veryreluctantly, having her own private fears that her youngest daughtermight fall into mischief. 

Dotty kissed her mother good by, and promised to be perfect; but Mrs. Parlin knew too well how the child's resolutions were apt to wither awayfor want of root. 

CHAPTER IV. 

PLAYING HINDOO. 

"Johnny, Johnny, come to the window, quick!" said Dotty; "see thisbird!"

"I've seen birds before, " replied her little cousin, coolly, and walkingas slowly as possible. 

"But this one peeps as if he was hurt; see how he pecks to get in. "

"Don't you take him in!" exclaimed Angeline, the kitchen girl; "it's abad sign to have birds come fluttering round a window. "

"What do you mean by a _sign_?" asked Dotty, who had never heard of anysilly superstitions in her life. 

"Let him alone, " cried Johnny, "or you'll die before the week's out, sure's you live!"

Dotty laughed. "A bird can't make me die, " said she, seizing thetrembling little oriole, and holding him close to her bosom. "O, youbirdie darling! Did your mamma go 'way off, and couldn't find a worm?Dotty'll be your mamma, so she will. "

She put him in a basket stuffed with rags, and hung over him tenderlyfor half an hour. 

"You're bringing down trouble, I'm afraid, child, " said Angeline, gravely, as she walked back and forth, doing her work. 

Mrs. Parlin, away off at Willowbrook, was at that moment bathing Mrs. Clifford's forehead. I think she might have dropped the sponge in dismayif she had known what pernicious nonsense was finding its way intoDotty's ears. 

Just as Angeline was in the midst of a ghost story, Johnny rushed inagain. 

"Come, " said he, shaking Dotty by the shoulders, "let's go play poison. "

"O, no, Johnny. I'm hearing the nicest, awfullest story! And then itrains so, too!"

"Doesn't, either. Only sprinkles. And when it sprinkles, it's a _sure_sign it isn't going to rain. "

"Who told you so?"

"Your grandmother Read. She's a Quaker, and she can't lie. Come, DotParlin; if you don't like poison, come out and play soldier. "

"I don't want to play a single thing; so there, now, Johnny Eastman!"

"Then you're a cross old party, miss. "

"I'm not a party at all. I'm only one girl. "

"O, Dotty!" called Prudy from the cellar-way; "take care! take care!"

"So I am taking care, " returned Dotty, stoutly. "For my own motherdoesn't 'low me to go out doors and get rained on, and he knows it. "

It was coming, Prudy feared--her sister's naughty temper. She saw ashadow no larger than a man's hand; but it would not do to let it grow. She must brush it away at once. 

"Let's play something in the house, " said she, quickly. 

"All right, " returned Johnny; "only not sit down. "

"Yes, let's _do_ sit down, " interposed Dotty, with a view to thwartingJohnny. 

"Suppose we play Hindoo, " suggested Prudy, "if we can get Susy andFlossy into it. "

"Play what?"

"Why, play we are Hindoos, and live away off in the Indian Ocean. "

"Fishes or sharks?" asked Johnny, growing interested. 

"O, _people_; and they act so queer. Mother played it with us once, whenSusy had the toothache. "

The older girls were hard to be persuaded. They did not like to leavetheir shell-work; but they came at last. 

"Johnny shall be Joggo, " said Susy; "that's a boy's name; Prudy will be'Drop of Honey, ' and Flossy 'Young Beauty, ' and Dotty 'Summer Moon, ' andI 'Onno. '"

"'Young Beauty' 's the prettiest, " said Dotty; "if I can't play that, I'd rather stay with my birdie, and not play. "

"Why, " cried Susy, "how foo--;" but catching Prudy's eye, she added, "you may as well be Young Beauty; Flossy wouldn't mind. But now I thinkof it, Prudy, we can't play school, for girls don't go to school inIndia. "

"Make believe you are boys, then, " observed Johnny, whose interest inthe game had flagged since he knew that Hindoos were not sharks. 

"We'll play it's six o'clock in the morning, " continued Susy. 

"That isn't school time, " remonstrated Dotty. 

"O, yes, it is, in India. I'm the teacher. Give me a stick, please. "

"Here's my old riding-whip, " said Flossy, producing it from thewood-box. Things were tucked away in very queer places at Mrs. Eastman's. 

Susy tied a string about her waist for a girdle, stuck the whip into it, and began to march the floor with great dignity. 

"Now school has begun. You must all come in, and bow 'way down to theground, and say, 'O, respected teacher, grant us knowledge. ' They arevery polite in India. --All but Prudy, she may stay behind and playtruant. "

The three pupils came forward, touched their foreheads to the floor, andrepeated the sentence as directed, Johnny rendering it, --

"O, respectful Susy Parlin, don't you whip me!"--at the same timeturning a somerset. 

"I forgot one thing, " said the teacher, as her obedient pupils stoodupright again, with flushed faces. "You ought to have brought me apresent, every one of you, such as a fig of tobacco rolled up in abanana leaf, or--"

"We didn't know you chewed, " said Florence, laughing. 

"Now you take your seats. No, not there! On the floor! What do yousuppose? You're in India, children. There are mats on the floor (we'llpretend). "

The children seated themselves. 

"O, we ought to say a prayer to the Muse; but I can't remember what itis. No matter. Multiplication Table comes next. Mother says it's justthe same thing in India that it is in America. "

The school repeated part of the table, making very absurd mistakesintentionally. Susy walked the floor like a general. "Angeline, pleaselook up some more palm-leaf fans, and some splinters of wood. "

Angeline was the soul of good nature, and left her baking to hunt in themeal-room for the fans. 

"A pretty kind of school!" growled Johnny. "Don't they do anything outthere in Hindoo but just fan themselves?"

"O, we pretend these fans are green, just off the trees. We are studyingarithmetic, all so fast, and ciphering on these leaves withreeds--(that's our splinters). Indian boys don't know what slates are. They think these leaves are good enough. They come off of the tallestpalm trees. Fans don't grow in this country. Where did you ever see aleaf as broad as this?"

"Poh, plenty of 'em in Kennebec County!" said Johnny, confidently. 

"Now, " said the teacher, after a few moments of mock arithmetic, "nowI've looked at my watch, and find it's seven o'clock. How _conscionable_late! And that Drop of Honey hasn't come to school yet! Joggo, you andYoung Beauty go and bring her!"

Prudy, who was sitting at a little distance, under a swing-table, eatingginger snaps, was suddenly seized upon by the two little Indianconstables. 

"Why, what an idea!" said Prudy, with her mouth full; "I didn't knowthat was the way to play it. "

"Yes, " said Susy, "truants must come to school. If they don't come theymust be arrested. "

"Why, I've _been a-resting_ all the time, " said Prudy, laughing. 

"Well, that doesn't make any difference, Miss Honey Drop, " said Johnny, taking her by the shoulders, while Dotty dragged her feet. There wasgreat laughing and scrambling, during which Prudy swallowed a crumb thewrong way, and was finally carried into school on a litter. 

"Now, I should judge, " said the heartless teacher, looking sternly atthe crimson-faced victim, "I should judge that this wicked creatureought to have a terrific whipping!"

"That's so!" shouted Johnny; "we found Honey Drop top of a house, firingmud into a man's eyes. "

"Yes, so we did, " said Dotty, fully restored to good humor, "black mud;Honey's a bad Nindian. If you can't whip her hard enough, Joggie willhelp. "

"There, now!" said the teacher, after dealing several "love-pats" withgreat pretended force; "now I should think 'twas time for school to beout. As you go by me, each of you, I must strike you just as many timesas you were minutes late. Now go home, and eat rice for your dinners. "

"Well, I don't think it's much of a play, any way, " said Johnny. 

"Who said it was?" retorted Florence. "Susy and I didn't want to comedown; we did it just to please you. "

"Please _me_!" sniffed Johnny. "_I_ wanted to play poison, out in theyard!"

"I do wish, " thought Susy, privately, "that cousin Flossy would be morepolite to little Johnny. I really think he wouldn't be so rude if shewould treat him as a lady should. "

"There's another play we used to have, " said Prudy, "where you sit roundon the floor, right among the dishes, and eat your supper. "

"Well, I declare for it, " said Angeline, "those people off there do needmissionaries more than ever I thought they did. "

"Yes, " replied Susy, "they tell such horrid stories to their littlechildren. The children don't dare go out after dark, for they supposethere are demons up in the high trees, just ready to dart down andwhisk them off. "

"Angeline tells just such stories her _own_ self, " said Dotty. 

"Then she's a heathen, " said Florence, who usually spoke the firstthought that came into her head. 

"If that's the case, " retorted Angeline, with dignity, "you'd better allwalk out of this kitchen before you are entirely ruined. "

As Angeline was evidently in earnest, the children slowly took their wayinto the dining-room. 

"Are there real live ghosts, though, Susy?" asked Dotty, anxiously; "andif a bird comes to the window will you die?"

"Why, no, indeed, child! Mother told me once, when I was right little, that I mustn't let people tell me such foolish stories. If Angelinetalks so to you, you must stop your ears. Now, remember!"

Dotty remembered; but she was not quite convinced. Those awful storiesmight be true, after all; perhaps Susy didn't know. 

CHAPTER V. 

RUNNING WILD. 

You begin to see how the children were running wild at Mrs. Eastman's. One morning Dotty climbed the hat-tree to get away from her cousinPercy. 

"Don't believe 'cousin Dimple' knows a hat-tree wasn't made for littlegirls to sit on, " said Percy. 

"No, 'twas made to swing on, " replied Dotty, tilting herself backwardand forward like a bird on a bough. "I'm going to stay here tillsomebody carries me off pick-aback. "

Percy, having nothing better to do, took his little cousin on hisshoulders, danced her about the hall and through the house, and finallytossed her backward into a pile of shavings. Dotty sprang up, shook offthe shavings, and ran after Percy, laughing so boisterously thatAngeline said to the chambermaid, --

"I know of one person that will be glad when Mrs. Parlin gets back. "

"And I know of another, " replied Janey. "The child behaved like a ladywhen she first came; but what can you expect in this house with thoseboys?"

"How's that bird?" said Percy, as he and Dotty raced through thekitchen. "Can he stand on both legs yet?"

"Yes, indeed! He could stand on _three_ legs if he had 'em. He's mostwell--I must go and 'tend to him. "--("I wonder what's going to happenthat's bad, " thought she, as she fed the bird in her own chamber withcream biscuit. "I hope it isn't a fire!")--"Why, Johnny Eastman, Ishouldn't think your mamma'd let you scream so loud!"

"Then you must hear the first time. Come, let's go out and have somefun; mother's gone to Cumberland. "

As if Johnny did not have fun all day, and every day, whether his motherwas at home or abroad!

"Prudy, " said Dotty, "good by, for Johnny 'n' I are going down to thebeach to get some shells. "

Prudy looked up from her writing. 

"Don't go near the water, " said she; then throwing her arms about herlittle sister, she sang, --

 "If you love me as I love you, No knife shall cut our love in two. "

"Well, I do, " replied Dotty, with an affectionate hug, "and I sha'n't gonear the water. "

"You won't forget?" said Prudy, anxiously. "You know mamma's as afraidof the water as she can be. "

"What are you after?" cried Angeline, half a minute afterwards. "Of allthe rummaging children!" At the same time she gave Dotty a nice cakewarm from the oven. 

"I'm looking for my hat, " said the little girl, shutting the sink door. "Last time I saw it 'twas in a barrel somewhere. "

But it happened to be in a hogshead. 

"I think this is a real nice sort of world, " thought Dotty, as she andJohnny trudged off in the pleasant sunshine. "I do think, just tomyself--though I wouldn't say it out loud--that I'm as nice as anybody. I don't know what Prudy'd do 'thout me; and I guess Susy'd cry her eyesout!"

"What you thinking about?" said Johnny. 

"O, 'bout a good many things! Let's run; it tires me to pieces to walk!"

"Look!" cried Johnny, "there's Mandoline!"

And such a pretty sight as bareheaded Mandoline presented! She was alittle Jewess, with such beauty, perhaps, as that of the women we readabout in the Bible. She had dark, wavy hair, like sea-foam with inktipped over in it. Her eyes were like gems; there was a brilliant colorin her cheeks, and her mouth was so sweet that

 "Upon her lip the honey bee Might build her waxen throne. "

Dotty did not know why she liked Mandoline so well, but like her shedid. Mrs. Parlin was afraid Mandoline had not been taught to respect thetruth, and had often desired her little daughter not to play with thebeautiful Jewess. 

But "Lina" went to Mrs. Eastman's, and Mrs. Eastman petted her. Dottythought it could not be wrong to associate with a little girl her auntieliked so well. 

"Come with us, Lina, " said Johnny. 

"Where are you going?"

"Going to make a Bunger Hill Monuement, " repliedDotty. "We know where the shells grow real thick. "

"But I've lost my shaker. A dog's got it. "

"O, no matter, _you_ don't care, " said Dotty, in a grandmotherly tone, "for _I_ won't let anybody laugh at you. "

Lina yielded. The three children tripped along together, taking upFreddy Jackson on the way--a deaf and dumb boy, who only knew when itthundered by the jar he could feel. Everybody was kind to Freddy. DottyDimple, with all her faults, was never known to be impatient with thepoor boy. 

The children reached the sea-shore, which _was_ somewhere "near thewater, " though Dotty had assured Prudy to the contrary. Shell-gatheringis more exciting work than picking strawberries in the country; forstrawberries are all very much alike, whereas shells present somevariety. 

But in this instance it was very dull business, for the reason thatthere were no shells to be found. They had all become weary of gropingabout in the sand, when Johnny looked at the bay, and observed a boycoming towards them, rowing a boat. 

"Hilloa, there!" shouted the boy. 

"Hilloa!" responded Johnny. "If that isn't Sol Rosenberg!" (This wasMandoline's brother. ) "Where you going, Sol?"

"Nowhere particular. Get in and go too?"

"Yes, " said Johnny, "Fred Jackson and I. Fred can steer as straight's aneedle. I'll paddle, you know. "

"Girls too, " added Solomon, gallantly. 

With one accord the children walked eagerly towards the boat, which, bythis time, Solomon had moored against the beach. All but Dotty. 

"Are you old enough, Solly Rosenberg, old enough and know enough not todrown us all to pieces?"

Young Solomon laughed. 

"If I can't manage a small concern like this!"

"But four, and one more, make _five_, Solly!"

"You don't say so! Well, I could carry sixteen, if they were all suchlittle snips as you are!"

"Dot Parlin thinks she weighs as much as two tons, " said Johnny, in anirritating tone. 

"I'm dreadful 'fraid, " murmured the little Jewess, shaking the waywardhair out of her magnificent eyes; "but I'll go if you will, DottyDimple. "

Dotty shoved her feet into the sand and reflected. 

"My mamma is afraid of the water; but then she was upset in a scursion, and that's why she's afraid. "

"What kind of thing is a _scursion_?" asked Johnny. 

"A Sabbath school picnic. And she wasn't upset either, only she 'xpectedto be. "

"Come on!" called Solly. "All aboard!"

"But my mamma said it wasn't safe!"

"No, she didn't. She never saw this boat; she doesn't know whether it'ssafe or not. "

"Doesn't it leak a single speck, Solly Rosenberg? It looks wet. "

"Pshaw! That's where the waves come in; it's as tight as the bark to atree. "

Dotty was becoming very eager to go. It sometimes did seem, when shereally wished to do any particular thing, that she wished it more thanany one else. 

"But, O dear! my mamma doesn't 'low me to sail. "

This was spoken sorrowfully; but there was a little wavering in thetone. Dotty had taken the first false step; she had listened to thevoice of temptation, and every persuasive word of Solly's left herweaker than it had found her. 

"My mamma doesn't _ever_ 'low me to sail. "

"You _couldn't_ sail in a wherry if you were to try, " said Johnny. "Come, Sol, don't stop to bother: who wants girls? They just spoil thefun. "

"For shame!" said the more polite Solomon, drawing himself up andlooking very manly; "the girls shall go if they want to. Only just roundthe curve. "

Dotty liked Solly at that moment very much. She looked at herill-mannered little cousin with royal disdain, and walked slowly andcautiously on towards the boat. Lina followed at a little distance. _Her_ mother had also forbidden her to go on the water, and had declaredthat Solomon was too young to manage a boat; but neither Lina nor herbrother had very tender consciences. If they did wrong things, andnobody knew it, it was all very well; but if they were found out--ah!then was the time to be sorry! Dotty's conscience had been much bettereducated than theirs: it gave her plenty of warning, which she would notheed, and tried to stifle by talking. 

"It isn't a sail boat. When my mamma went in the scursion, then it was asail boat, and the wind whistled so the sails shook dreadfully. My mammanever talked to me about wherries; she didn't ever say I mustn't go in awherry. "

While Dotty was still talking, she entered the boat, the last of thefive. She seated herself, but was annoyed to find her dainty gaiterssinking into a pool of dirty water. She lifted her feet, but could notkeep them up. Well, perhaps she shouldn't have the sore throat afterall; she couldn't help it now if she did have it. At any rate she wasdetermined not to complain, when Solly had been so very polite. 

"Isn't this prime?" said Johnny, as they launched out upon the water. 

The motion was certainly pleasant, and for a few moments Dotty was quitedelighted, thinking over and over again, --

"Mamma won't care; it's nothing but a wherry, and the wind doesn'tblow. "

Then she suddenly remembered her promise to Prudy, not to go "anywherenear the water. "

"And I never thought I should. I never s'posed I should see SollyRosenberg. I didn't know he was in this city. Prudy'd like it just aswell as I do, if she was in here, and knew 'twas a wherry. "

CHAPTER VI. 

HOW IT ENDED. 

Yes, no doubt Prudy would have liked it if her mother had approved; forthen she could have gone with a clear conscience, and also without fear. But Prudy had suffered in her short life a great deal of what we call"discipline, " and had learned pretty thoroughly the lesson of obedience. She knew it is never of the least use for little girls, or any one else, to expect to be happy in the wrong way. 

 "Straight is the line of duty, Curved is the line of beauty; Follow one, and thou shalt see The other ever following thee. "

This means, when put into child's English, that if we try aboveeverything else to have a good time, we never have it; but if we tryfirst of all to do right, then the good time will come of itself. Dottycertainly had not tried to do right: now we will see if that beautiful"curved line" of happiness followed her. 

She was very young, or she would have known better than to trust herselfon the ocean with a little boy like Solly Rosenberg, even if her motherhad not forbidden it: but Dotty was rash; her bold spirit never feareddanger. 

If she, or any of the rest of the party, had only looked at the sky! Butif they had, I dare say they would have made nothing of it. There wereclouds scudding about up there like shadowy sail-boats, and the sun hadto fight his way through them, till by and by he gave it up entirely, and never so much as peeped out. By that time it was decidedly badweather; the light had to be sifted through heavy gray curtains. 

This made such a difference with the appearance of everything! Theworld, which had looked, an hour ago, so gay and light-hearted, was nowrather gloomy. The waves, instead of sparkling, only foamed and bubbled;indeed they grew larger every moment, for the wind was blowing a gale. The white sea-gulls hovered over the bay, flapping their wings; andDotty had never liked sea-gulls. She began to grow a very little uneasy. 

"It was naughty for _us_ to come, " thought she, anxious to divide thesin with her companions; "_we_ ought to have minded our mothers. "

If the sky had continued fair, it may be Dotty would not have felt soguilty, though you and I know the weather had nothing to do with thesin; disobedience is disobedience always, whether it rains or shines. 

The little Jewess grew very pale, said she was dizzy, and wished tochange places with Dotty. 

"Keep still, can't you, girls?" cried Johnny; "if you fuss round so theboat'll be sure to upset. "

Johnny looked as dignified as if he had navigated ships across theAtlantic Ocean over and over again; but then, alas! his arms were solittle! I suppose his paddle had nearly as much effect as if it had beenan iron spoon; and he probably knew as much about boating as he didabout the dead languages. Solly and Freddy were several years older, andconsiderably wiser; but the wisdom of all these five children, if ithad been compounded together, would not have amounted to the wisdom ofthe three wise men of Gotham who went to sea in a bowl. 

"O, dear!" screamed Dotty. 

"O, dear! dear! _dear!_" cried Lina; "the water rolls in over the top!"

"Can't you steer for the shore, Solly Rosenbug?" said Dotty. 

"You hadn't oughter made us come, " sobbed Lina. 

Johnny joined the mournful chorus. 

"There goes my hat! You were in pretty business knocking it off my head, Dot Dimple!"

"I never; and I didn't mean to, " replied Dotty, too much subdued toretort with her usual spirit. 

"Fish it out with the paddle, " remarked Solly, coolly. 

This was intended as a joke, for the hat was already bounding far, faraway over the waste of waters. Dotty knew she should always be accusedof losing it, though in her secret soul she was sure the wind had blownit off. But a new hat, as we all know, is a mere trifle when we havegone to sea in a bowl! The first thing we think of is how to get home. 

"Ahem!" ejaculated Solly, at last, "if you are really afraid, Lina, Isuppose we'd better go ashore!"

Lina clapped her hands. "O, do! do! do!"

"Yes, indeed, " said Dotty; "and, Solly, don't you bump _too_ hardagainst the shore, 'cause 'twould spill us out. "

It was very easy to talk about touching the shore: all the difficultylay in being able to do it. Not that it was so very distant; indeed, itwas in full sight, "so near, and yet so far!" If the wind had only beenquiet, instead of "cracking its cheeks!" But, as it was, the boat rockedfearfully, and seemed to be blowing directly away from the land. 

Solly and the deaf and dumb boy looked at each other with eyes whichseemed to say, --

"The thing is coming to a pretty pass! Only you and I to manage thiscraft, and we neither of us know what we are about! But we'll keep astiff upper lip, and make believe we do!"

"Why, Solly Rosenbug!" said Dotty, catching her breath, "you're goingjust the other way!"

"O, Solly Rosenberg, " echoed Lina, "you're going the wrong way! There'sthe shore, off there!"

"Well, well, " said Solly, his "stiff upper lip" very white, "we'recoming round to it after a while: you just sit still. "

"Yes, " said Johnny, puffing very hard, and churning the foam with hispaddle, as if he were whipping eggs with a beater, "yes, girls, _we_shall row round to it after a while, _if_ you'll only keep still!"

I dare say Johnny thought the most of this commotion was made by hispaddle. He was quite as consequential, in his way, as the fly who sat ona wagon-wheel, and said to the wagon, as it rattled down hill, "What anoise we make!"

"We wouldn't put for the shore at all, " continued Johnny, "if it wasn'tfor you girls. "

At that moment a remarkably high wave leaped over the side of the boat, and wet Johnny to the skin. 

"Just enough wind to make it pleasant!" gasped the little fellow. 

"O, dear! O, dear!" sighed the girls, in despair. 

"Ugh! how my arms ache!" groaned Johnny, stopping to rub them. "Guess Iwouldn't say much if I was nothing but a girl, and didn't have topaddle!"

"O, you needn't fuss with that paddle any longer, Johnny Eastman, " saidSolly, who had hitherto paid no heed to the little boy's vigorous butuseless struggles; "you just drop it; it doesn't amount to anything. "

"What! what!" cried Johnny, looking very much insulted. "How are youever going to get ashore without ME, I'd like to know?"

All this while the boys were growing crimson in the face from thegigantic efforts they made, and the girls very pale with fright. Sollykept repeating, --

"Don't you be afraid, girls!" but his voice faltered as he said it; andas for Freddy Jackson, the trembling of his mute lips was as eloquent asspeech. The two boys might put on what blustering airs they pleased--itall amounted to nothing; there was more power in the wind than in themuscles of their small arms. The boat would not go near the shore:anywhere else but there. The sky grew more and more threatening, and thewind increased in force. 

"We're going to be drow--drow--drownded!" screamed Dotty; "and I toldyou so: I knew it before! O, if Susy was here with a shingle!"

"We're going to be drownded!" cried Lina; "and, Solly Rosenberg, youhadn't oughter made me come!"

"And you told an awful, wicked story, " struck in Dotty, "for, SollyRosenberg, you said you's old enough to row, and you're nowhere nearold enough; and, O! O! O! you don't know how. And I'll tell my father!And he'll never know where I am! And my mother's gone away to aunt MariaClifford's, and I'm going to be dead when she gets back! And you won't_try_ to row! _Susy_ could row if she was here, and had a shingle. ButSusy isn't here, and hasn't any shingle! O! O!"

All these sentences Dotty thrust out, one after another, having littleidea what she said, only conscious of an overwhelming terror and animpulse to keep talking. 

Suddenly poor Solly Rosenberg dropped his oar, exclaiming, --

"There, it's of no use; my arms are giving out!"

Freddy Jackson held out a few moments longer, then dropped his oar also, with a look of utter hopelessness. 

[Illustration: IN THE BOAT. Page 93. ]

"Why don't you keep a pullin', boys?" said Johnny, dipping in hisuseless little paddle. 

The boat whirled about like an egg-shell, completely at the mercy of thewaves. If your papa and mamma had seen it, they would have said therewas the last of Dotty Dimple. But, on second thought, you may be sure itwas not the last of her; for if she was going to be drowned in the sixthchapter, I should never have written this book. 

It was a wonderful mercy that the five rash children _were_ spared; butlife is full of just such mercies; and of course I knew all the whilewhat was coming, or I could not have written so cheerfully. 

_What_ was coming?

"I see something, " shouted Dotty, "ever so far off! It isn't a gull!"

"It's a sail! a sail!" cried Solly, and took to his oars again. 

"A sail! a sail!" thought Freddy Jackson, though he could not say it;and he steered once more, with courage renewed; though, as to thatmatter, it would have been just as well if they had kept still. 

By the time the sail-boat came up to the wherry, the children werethoroughly drenched and sobered. A more subdued set of little sailorsthe captain had never seen. 

"Well, now, " said he, patting the little girls on the head, "I had afine lecture made up for you crazy chickens; but you are all so meek, that I reckon I'll just take you on board, and not scold you till I getyou ashore. "

It was the narrowest escape! and they all knew it. The "foolishchickens" hid their heads, and made mental resolves that they wouldnever, never venture out of sight of land again without some olderperson to take care of them. 

"Don't you tell my father, now, " said Johnny to Dotty, as they wenthome, dripping like a pair of sea-bathers. 

"Nor don't you tell mine, nor Susy, nor Prudy, neither. "

"We shall have to make up some kind of a story, " added Johnny, reflectively. "I don't know but we reached over too far aftersea-shells, didn't we, and fell into the bay? _You_ did (say), and I gotin after you, and pulled you out by your hair. "

"Why, Johnny!"

"Well, then, you didn't; _I_ fell in, and you pulled _me_ out--by theboots; only my boots would have come off, though, they're so big!"

"O, Johnny Eastman!"

Dotty had stopped short in the road, and was looking at her cousin withan expression of mingled pity and scorn. 

"Then make up something better to suit yourself. "

"I don't make up stories, I just hope I don't, " returned Dotty, squeezing the skirt of her dress indignantly. 

"But, " said Johnny, "they'll know it wasn't all rain-water. "

"Then I shall tell the whole, whole truth, " exclaimed Miss Dimple, setting her feet down so firmly that the water made a gurgling noise inher boots. "I'll tell how you boys teased us girls to go. "

"O, ho, Dot Dimple! that's as much of a story as pulling out by thehair! _I_ didn't want you to go. I tried to stop it. "

"Yes, I know it, and that was why I went, " said Dotty, gravely! "Iwasn't going to have you say I mus'n't! If you'd been _willing_, Ishouldn't have gone a step. "

By this time they had reached Mr. Eastman's gate. 

"You tell if you dare!" said Johnny. And, after that, Dotty neverthought any longer of trying to conceal a single item of theirremarkable adventure. Since Johnny had dared her, she would _certainly_tell. 

CHAPTER VII. 

TELLING OF IT. 

Dotty saw her father through the window. She had not supposed it wasdinner-time. Her head, which she had just been tossing so proudly, wassuddenly lowered, and she entered the house with "faint-footed fear, "and stole noiselessly up stairs, leaving wet tracks on the elegantcarpet. She did not wish to meet her father while she was in such aplight. 

"O, Prudy!" she called out, "something has happened!"

But Prudy was not within hearing. Angeline had given her permission topeel the potatoes for dinner, and she was now in the kitchen, quiteunconscious of her little sister's forlorn situation. Hatless Johnny hadcrept around by the back door, and put himself under the care of Jane, the chambermaid. Janey was very kind-hearted, and withal a littleweak-minded. She had often helped Johnny out of his predicaments, receiving in return plenty of kisses and sugar-plums. 

But who was going to help Dotty? She did not know where to look for drygarments; for, since her mother went away, her own clothes, and those ofher two sisters, had been tossed together in sad confusion. She did notlike to go to Susy, for Susy would probably scold; and Dotty, just now, was so uncomfortable, and her nerves had been so terribly racked, thatshe thought she could bear anything better than to be blamed. 

"O, dear! where in this world was Prudy?"

She fidgeted about, trying to find she knew not what. Then sheremembered she had herself locked the trunk, to hide away some almondcandy from the other girls. Where she had put the key she did not know. 

The dinner-bell rang, and still Prudy did not appear. 

"I believe she does it _to purpose_, " thought Miss Dimple, pulling outthe bureau drawers in great haste, and scattering their contents rightand left. 

"Seem's if I should freeze, but I don't s'pose she cares. I don't wantany dinner. If Prudy'd bring me up a piece of pudding, I'd eat it; butshe won't, nor pie either. "

By this time Dotty had nearly forgotten that all her misery was theresult of her own misconduct. She would remember it by and by withrenewed shame; but, just now, she had somehow shifted the blame uponinnocent Prudy, forgetting that that dear little sister did not evenknow she was in the house. 

"And I sha'n't eat any supper, " continued the shivering Dotty. "I wonderhow many dinners and suppers 'twould take to starve folks to death?Prudy said she loved me; but if she does, why don't she come up here, and get me some clean clothes?"

Meanwhile, at the dinner-table down stairs, there were three placesempty. Mrs. Eastman had gone to Cumberland, and Susy told her fatherthat Johnny and Dotty were away somewhere at play. It was such acareless household, and the meals were so irregular, that Mr. Parlin hadseveral times missed Dotty at table. He did not pay any more attentionthan usual to her absence to-day, but thought, with a feeling ofrelief, --

"Her mother will soon be at home, and then I shall feel very much easierabout Alice and the other children. "

If Mr. Parlin had only known that Dotty was shivering up stairs in wetclothes, he might not have lingered so long over his ice-cream. As itwas, he chatted leisurely with Mr. Eastman, put on his hat, and walkedaway, saying to Susy, in a low voice, as he passed her in the hall, --

"My daughter, while I am so busy, and your mother is gone, I wish youwould pay more attention to your little sister Alice. I am really afraidshe is running wild. "

"Yes, sir, " replied Susy, with a swift pang of conscience; for she nowrecollected that it was seldom she even knew where Dotty was, her mindbeing wholly absorbed by play and fancy-work. 

At this moment Johnny appeared, fresh from a bath, and dressed in aclean suit. 

"Where is Dotty?" asked Susy, rather surprised by Johnny's tidy array. 

"Dot? O, she's in the house somewhere. She came home when I did. "

Johnny spoke very carelessly. He was anxious that no one should supposeanything unusual had occurred. 

Susy and Prudy went up stairs in search of their missing sister. Theyfound her in her own room, sitting down disconsolately in the middle ofthe floor. 

"Why, Dotty Dimple, where have you been? How _did_ you get so wet?"

No answer. 

"Have you been trying to swim?" laughed Prudy, going up and stroking herforehead. 

"Prudy Parlin, why didn't you come up here before?" was the suddenresponse. "I called you and called you. --Where'd you put my clo'es?"

"Why, Dotty, dear, I didn't know you were in the house; and I nevertouched your clothes. "

"Yes, you did. I can't find the key. I'm going to freeze. You don'tcare. You never brought me a speck of pudding. I'm sick, and going tohave the sore throat. I wouldn't eat it now if the mayor was right inthis room--so there!"

Nothing could exceed the dreariness of Dotty's tone. Susy, though by nomeans unfeeling, could scarcely refrain from laughing at the child'sunreasonableness; but Prudy, who "was exceeding wise" in reading theheart, knew that Dotty's anger was not very real; that it was partlyassumed to hide her wretchedness. Therefore patient Prudy resolved tobear with the sharp words, believing Dotty would be pleasant by and by, when she felt comfortable. 

After some delay in hunting, she and Susy dressed the child in freshclothes. Then Dotty consented to eat a little dinner, and go into hergrandma Read's room, to sit on the lounge. 

"This little girl doesn't look well, " said grandma Read, the firstmoment; "her cheeks are altogether too red. Where has thee been to-day, Alice?"

"Been down to the beach, picking shells, grandma, " replied Dotty, looking hard at the carpet. 

"O, where are the shells?" said Prudy. 

"I'm sure I don't know; I didn't find any. I didn't come back the sameway I went, " replied Dotty, twirling her favorite lock of hair over herfinger. 

"Didn't come back the same way?"

"No, I went wherrying. "

"Wherrying?" repeated Prudy. 

"Yes, that's what I said. "

"Prudence, what does thee suppose the child means?" said grandma Read, taking off her spectacles, and fixing her kind eyes steadily upon DottyDimple. 

"Wherrying in a wherry, " answered Dotty, dryly. 

"Does thee mean in a boat?"

"Why no, grandma. It looks like a boat, but it isn't; it's a wherry. "

"Who allowed thee to go on the water?"

"Nobody. "

"Did thee think thee was doing right?"

"No'm. "

"Who rowed the boat?"

"Some boys--two--and Johnny, grandma. "

"Hasn't thy mother told thee not to go on the water?"

"She said I mus'n't sail, and I never. I _wherried_. "

"Why, Dotty Parlin, " said Prudy, "you'll scare me so I'll never get mybreath again! You didn't go off on that bay with some boys?"

"Yes, I did, " replied Dotty, trying to look defiant. "_You_ wouldn'thave dared to, Prudy. "

"Thee may get in my lap, Alice, and tell me all about it, " said grandmaRead, laying down her knitting-work. 

Dotty curled herself into a little heap in her grandmother's arms. 

"My head aches, " said she, "and I love to lay it against your soft_kerjif_. "

"Well, dear, so thee may. Now, tell me what made thee go on the water?"

"'Cause, 'cause, grandma, Solly Rosenbug asked me to go, and Johnnytried to make me _not_ go. I asked Solly was he old enough, and knewenough, and he said he did; but he didn't any such thing. And grandma, there it was, right in the middle of the solid water! And began to spinand dance round. We couldn't stop it from dancing; the more we held on, the quicker it went. Way up and down, grandma, and the rain raining, andour feet all sopping, and pouring right into that wherry like a--acatara-duct. They were all afraid but me, and I was awful afraid too. You see I thought we should tip right over, and I didn't want to bedrowned, and couldn't swim. "

"Why, Dotty, how you make me tremble!" cried Prudy. 

"The way Johnny paddled!" continued Dotty, triumphantly. "Solly _said_he couldn't. I could have paddled better, only I didn't dare to. "

"_You_ paddle!"

"No, I didn't. The wind blew me so I couldn't; 'twas much's ever I keptin the wherry. I had to hold on to Lina, too; she was just as 'fraid!"

Here grandma Read pressed Dotty close to her heart, as if she wished tomake sure the child was really alive. 

"'He gave his angels charge concerning thee, '" murmured she. "Tell me, child, how thee ever got to the shore. "

"O, the captain took us in a sail-boat! He called us crazy chickens, butsaid he didn't scold. I was the first one that saw the sail; and thenSolly rowed us to it, and it took us in, just as wet as ever was. Johnnylost that paddle. So we got home; and, O, how my head aches!"

"What a strange, strange child to tell a story!" said grandma Read, shaking her head. "But I've seen thee before. I understand thy odd ways. Thee is deeply ashamed of such wicked conduct--that I am very sure. Theemust be aware, Alice, that it is only by the Lord's mercy thee is safeon dry land, instead of being drowned in the depths of the sea. "

Dotty shuddered, and curled her crimson face more closely against thewhite kerchief. 

"But I will not chide thee now. Thy mother will do what is right andproper when she comes home. But now thee must have a bowl of ginger tea, and go straight to bed. "

Dotty made no objection. Indeed she was glad to find herself tuckedwarmly under blankets and coverlets, for she was still chilly, and herhead grew worse continually. It was also a great relief to her that shehad told the whole story. She knew her father would be sorelydispleased; but he had never punished her in his life, and it was notlikely he would do it now, while her head ached so dreadfully. 

She wasn't going to tell anybody how sorry she was; but she had made upher mind to this--that she would never _look_ at salt water again aslong as she lived. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

MAMMA AND "LITTLE ME. "

"O, dear!" thought Dotty, as she lay through the long afternoon, wakefuland feverish, "I should think there was a drum inside o' my head, andsomebody was pounding on it, --tummy, tum, tum. "

Grandma had said it was best to leave her alone, in the hope that shemight fall asleep. But the sleep would not come, though dreams did, oneafter another, like pictures in a panorama. 

When she shut her eyes, she could see a little red boat rocking on thewater like a cradle; then a great wave would dash against it, and turnit over, with all its passengers. The screaming sea-gulls seemed to belooking far down into the water in search of the sinking children; butthe children could not look up to see the gulls, for their eyes wereclosed, and they were "drowned in the depths of the sea. "

Dotty tried to shut out these horrid pictures. If her dear mamma wereonly here to talk to her, and lay a cool hand on her head--that mammashe had just disobeyed! Then Dotty repeated some verses she had learnedlong ago:--

 "At night my mamma comes up stairs, -- She comes to hear me say my prayers; And while I'm kneeling on her knee, She always kisses little me. "

When it came to the last line the poor child buried her face in thepillow. Papa was good, and grandma was good; but there was no one likeanybody's own mamma, after all. 

"'She always kisses little me, '" murmured Dotty. "'She _always_ kisseslittle me. ' She gives me twenty kisses when I go to bed, 'cept when I'mnaughty, and then I don't have but ten. "

Dotty counted the number of knobs on the bureau drawers, and then wenton:--

"I think if I was in my mamma's place, and had _me_ to take care of, I'dthrow me out of the window; I wouldn't keep such a girl!"

Dotty had great satisfaction in scolding herself when she was all alone. It was a way she had of "doing her own punishing. "

Presently, while engaged in the soothing business of calling herselfnames, she dropped off to sleep. She dreamed of red wherries and "whitewaves;" but never once dreamed that her mother had come, and wasbending over the bed, actually "kissing little me. "

"Poor thing, " said Mrs. Parlin to herself, "if she doesn't have asettled fever I shall be thankful. Will the time ever come when mylittle daughter will learn to obey her mother?"

Mrs. Parlin stole out of the room very softly; but a sly little rogue, observing that she left the creaking door a little ajar, watched anopportunity, and stole in on her "tipsy toes. " It was "wee Katie. " Mrs. Parlin had brought her home, to keep her out of the way of Mrs. Clifford, who was still quite ill. 

The first thing which roused Dotty to consciousness was a feeling ofsuffocation. O, was she in the bay? Was she drowning? Something lay veryclose over her mouth; but it was not water: in fact it was a pillow;and on the pillow sat little Katie with her whole weight. But being avery restless child, it is not likely she would have remained in thatposition long enough to strangle her cousin, even if Dotty had notthrown up her arms and released herself suddenly. 

"Why, Katie Clifford, is that you?"

"Yes, this is me!" replied Katie, with a voice as sweet as a wind-harp. "You didn't know _I_ was comin'. You turned your face away: you wouldn'tlook to me!"

"I s'pose I was asleep, Katie. You didn't mean to sit down on my head, _did_ you, darling?"

"Yes, I did meant to. But you is sick. Folks mus'n't talk. "

"No, " replied Dotty, smiling, "when folks are sick they mustn't talk. "

"Well, " said Katie, putting her finger on her lip, "_they is_!"

"O, Katie!" cried Dotty, a new idea seizing her, "where's mother? Didshe come with you?"

Katie shook her head. 

"My dee mamma velly sick. "

"Yes, I know; but where's _my_ mamma? Did she come with you in thecars?"

Katie shook her head again. 

"Who did come with you, then? You didn't come alone?"

"No, there was folks. "

By this time Dotty had sprung out of bed, and was rushing out of theroom to learn whether her mother had come. Mrs. Parlin met her at thedoor. 

"My darling child, " said she, hugging and kissing her just as tenderlyas if she had never been "wherrying. " "You'd better lie down again, andlet me bathe your head. "

Dotty sprang into bed instantly. She was glad her mother had asked herto do something, so she might prove her desire to obey. She liked thetouch of those cool fingers on her forehead. 

"O, mamma, " said she, "you do make me feel better. It felt a while agoas if they were beating drums in there. "

"Is your neck stiff, dear?"

Katie thrust her little prying fingers under Dotty's chin, tickling her, of course. 

"No, auntie, " said she, "'tisn't any stiff, her neck isn't. "

"But it's sore, mother. Not so sore, though, as it was when Jennie Vaneeand I got caught in the thunder and lightning. "

After she had said this, Dotty blushed, for the words recalled to hermind another act of disobedience. No wonder she had thought herselfsuch a naughty girl, fit only to be thrown out of the window!

"What sort of a child has Dotty been since I have been gone?" asked Mrs. Parlin of Mrs. Eastman, as they both sat by the bedside. 

Mrs. Eastman stroked the sheet with her white, jewelled hand before shereplied. She was thinking how the little girl had turned the houseupside down, and, as she believed, made Johnny more mischievous thanever; so she hesitated a moment. 

"A tolerably good child. "

This was all Mrs. Eastman could say; and it was as much as Mrs. Parlinhad dared hope. She knew how Johnny and Dotty encouraged each other inrude behavior. She looked at her beautiful little daughter with pain, and wondered, as she had many times wondered before, if these bitterexperiences she was suffering would ever have the effect to make her abetter child. 

Dotty did not understand the tender, regretful glance of her mother'seyes. She was not as yet very well acquainted with the English language, and did not know what "tolerably" meant; she supposed it meant"remarkably. "

"It's so queer, " she thought, "that auntie should tell my mamma I'vebeen tol'ably good! Why, I haven't, I know I haven't: I've been tol'ablybad!"

She looked up at her auntie in surprise, and at that moment thereentered into her small mind a doubt of Mrs. Eastman's truthfulness. Itwas a very faint doubt, which she did not express even to herself. Itwas almost incredible that a grown-up lady should tell the "thing whichis not, " or even color the truth by so much as the shadow of a shade. Still, when auntie had called Dotty a tol'ably good girl, she must haveknown it was a mistake!

Dotty did not have a fever; but for several days she was not at allwell, and spent most of the time in her grandmamma's room, on thelounge. It would have been a good opportunity for reflection, if Katiehad not been in the house. As it was, Dotty did think of her own conductfor several minutes at a time, during the intervals when Katie was notdancing attendance upon her. She decided never to disobey her motheragain, and said so. This, you remember, was nothing new; she had madethe same resolve fifty times before, and broken it as often. 

Johnny, her little companion in naughtiness, escaped without so much asa sore throat; but he suffered in another way. His father, learning ofhis exploit upon the water, and being greatly incensed, punished himseverely. It was not often that Johnny was corrected, and this time hewas very indignant. He reflected that if it had not been for DottyDimple his sin would not have been found out. Dotty had ceased to be a"brick;" she was a tell-tale--a hateful, mean tell-tale; and he wishedshe would go home and stay there. 

"I'll pay her for this business, " said Johnny, talking to his boots. 

Just how he was going to "pay" his little cousin he did not know. As forbeing sorry for his disobedience, I doubt if Johnny thought of such athing. He knew he had been in much peril, and now, while the remembranceof the fright was still fresh in his mind, he was not likely to fallinto the same temptation again--that was all. 

Johnny missed his little lively cousin in his out-of-door sports; but hewas so angry with her that he scarcely ever went up stairs to see her;and when he did go, amused himself by putting his mouth down to her ear, and crying, --

"E, for shame, Dot Parlin! Fore I'd run and tell!"

But Dotty did not know that her cousin Johnny was harboring such bitterthoughts against her. She had a high temper herself; but anger did notrankle in her heart for days and days, as it did in Johnny's. She wasnot eager, like him, for revenge. 

The Parlins were now making ready to go into their new hired house. 

They were all longing for a place they could call "home. "

During the few days, while they yet remained at Mrs. Eastman's, very fewevents occurred which are worth recording. For one thing, Dotty's birddied. She had loved it for its helplessness; but Angeline said, --

"You needn't be sorry. What did I tell you when you took that bird intothe window? I knew something would happen; but didn't know as it wouldbe a boat-wreck exactly. "

Dotty, and even Prudy, had received some very foolish ideas fromAngeline. The Portland fire had affected the Parlin family in more waysthan one; and it would be long before the three little girls wouldsettle into their usual quiet habits again. 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE NEW HOME. 

"Prudy, " said Dotty, "you needn't say that word 'wherrying' to me anymore. Mamma said there mus'n't anybody tease me about that, becauseI've--I've repented it all up. "

"O, I'm so glad!" replied Prudy. 

"I'll never take another bird into the window, " continued Dotty; "it'salmost as bad as a ghost. "

"You never saw a ghost, Dotty. Nobody ever did. "

"Yes, indeed; Angeline has seen 'em as thick as spatter! They come whenyou're asleep, and there don't anybody know it. I shouldn't dare openmy eyes in the night. They're wrapped in a sheet, all white, and theireyes snap like fire. Angeline says they do. "

"I don't believe it, " said Prudy, stoutly; "my mother told me 'twasn'ttrue. "

"P'r'aps mamma doesn't wake up in the night, " said Dotty, "and p'r'apsthe ghosts never come where she is. Why, Prudy, they're made out o'nothing! If you stick a knife into 'em it goes right through, and don'ttouch their blood, for they haven't got any blood. They don't care forknives--they're just like bubbles. "

"I don't believe it, " replied Prudy, again. "I think it's wicked. Mymother wouldn't like it if she knew how much you sat in Angeline's lapand talked about ghosts. _I_ don't want to see any or hear any. "

"I do, though!" cried Dotty. "I shouldn't be afraid--the leastestspeck. I'd go right up to 'em, and, said I, 'How do you do, sir?' Andthen they would melt like a wink. It blows 'em right out the moment youspeak. "

"Does it, though?" said Johnny, who had been listening at the door. "Youdon't say so! Call me when you see your ghostses, and let me talk to 'emtoo. "

"And _me_! What _is_ um?" said wee Katie, toddling in with her mouthfull of candy. 

"There, there!" cried Dotty Dimple, "you've been a-listening, JohnnyEastman. "

"Don't care! 'Tisn't so bad as being a tell-tale, Miss!" said Johnny, ending the sentence in a naughty tone. 

"Why, Johnny, you mus'n't say that!"

"Why, Johnny, " echoed Katie, "you _musser_ say _that_!"

"Say what?"

"Say _Miss_. "

The children all laughed at this. 

"Come, little ones, " said Mr. Parlin, appearing at the door, "put onyour hats; we are ready to start. "

Prudy clapped her hands--an action which cousin Percy did not considervery polite. 

"It shows, " said he, "how glad you are to leave us. "

"O, but we are going _home_, you know, Percy! Only think of having ahome to go to!"

"It isn't the burnt one, though, " remarked Dotty, as she danced off thedoor-step; "and I 'spect I'll never see that darling little tea-set anymore. "

The new house was not in the least like the old one. Susy was alwaysbewailing the contrast. She did not like the wallpaper; the carpetswere homely; the rooms were, some of them, too large, and the door-yard, certainly, too small. 

"But it's better than nothing, " said Prudy, who, for one, was heartilytired of visiting. 

"I think, " said Mrs. Parlin, smiling, "this is a very good opportunityfor my little daughters to learn to make the best of everything. Wecannot have the old house, so we will try not to long for it. We neverwish for the moon, you know. "

"Katie does, " laughed Susy. 

"We cannot have the old home again, so we will make the new one as happyas we can. Isn't that the best way?"

"Of course it is, mamma, " replied all the children. 

"'Course, indeed, it is!" said Katie, trying to pull up the carpet inher search for a lost three-cent piece. 

"I'm glad father's dressing-gown and slippers didn't get scorched, " saidPrudy; "and the piano sounds as sweetly as ever it did. It sounds to mejust as if there was a family in there, living inside. "

"Like what?"

"O, you know there are four parts playing at once, and it seems as if itwas a man and his wife, and two children, all singing together!"

"I'm glad we brought so many flowers from aunt Eastman's, " said Susy, brightening; "now we'll trim all the rooms. "

"That is right, " said Mrs. Parlin. "This is the first night in the newhouse: let us make it as cheerful as we can for dear papa. Susy, you mayas well practise that new tune he likes so well. "

"O, mamma, " said Prudy, "I'll tell you what I'll do! I'll make somevinegar candy!--if you'll boil it, you know, and pull it. "

"A very brilliant idea, my daughter. Your part will be the looking on, Isuppose. "

"And what'll _I_ do?" queried Dotty, twisting the inevitable lock offront hair; "if papa would only give me some money, I'd go and buy him apresent. "

"The wisest thing you can do just now, dear, is to wash that berry-stainoff your lips; then you may bring me a fresh ruffle to baste in the neckof this dress. "

Dotty obeyed at once. She was always glad to wear that white delainewith the scarlet spots. 

The whole family were so very busy during the afternoon, that theyforgot to feel any regrets for the old home. The furniture had beenbrought and arranged some time before, and the most Mrs. Parlin expectedto do to-day was to make the house as pleasant as possible. Susy wasallowed to attend to the flowers; the three others looked on, andwatched Mrs. Parlin, while she made vinegar candy, filled some tartswith jelly, and helped Norah set the supper-table. 

"How nice!" said Prudy, rubbing her hands. "Sometimes I don't much careif our house was burnt up. "

"Nor I either, " said Dotty. "This house has got a good deal the bestplaces to hide in. "

Mrs. Parlin smiled, in her sweet, contented way. She was thinking howmany blessings we can all find in our lot if we only look for them. Notthat she would ever have known about the "nice places to hide in" if thechildren had not mentioned them. 

"Dotty, " said she, "you may run up and ask grandmother if she will daredrink any coffee to-night. "

Prudy and Dotty tripped up the broad staircase, which wound about somuch that Prudy said it twisted her like a string. Katie ran after them, catching her breath. 

There sat the dear grandmamma, knitting some winter stockings for Prudy. There were no curtains at the windows, and the August sunshine fell onher calm face, bathing it with warm light. The carpet had not been putdown yet, and the children's feet made a hollow sound on the bare floor. 

"Why, grandma, " said Prudy, "it wouldn't be nice here a bit, only theroom has got _you_ in it!"

"Bless thy little heart, Prudence! It will be nice enough here to-morrownight. I wouldn't have thy mother touch it to-day. "

"I've got a gamma to my house, " said Katie, passing her little fingersover Mrs. Read's white kerchief; "but um don't have hang-fiss on umneck. "

"Yes, " said Mrs. Read, in reply to the children's question, "tell yourmother I will take some coffee to-night, and she is very kind toinquire. "

On the whole, the supper that evening was quite a success. Mr. Parlinhad come home from business, tired and sad. It was not pleasant for himto turn his steps towards that part of the town: he missed his old homemore than ever. But when he entered the strange house, the lonely lookleft his face; for there in the hall stood his wife and children, awaiting him with smiles of welcome. 

"O, papa!" said Dotty, springing into his arms, while her sisters seizedhim by the coat-sleeves, "you ought to have a birthday to-night, we'vegot such a splendid supper!"

"Sthop!" cried Katie. "_I_'s talking. Cake, and verjerves, and f'owers, and butter!"

"And Susy's been practising the 'Blue Violet's Carol, '" said Prudy. 

"Yes, her packus, uncle Ed'ard!"

"And I'll read the paper to you if your eyes ache, " went on Prudy; "andwe are going to be just as happy, papa!"

"An' vindegar canny, " struck in Katie. 

"O, hush, now!" whispered Dotty, covering the child's mouth with herhandkerchief. 

The whole house was fragrant with flowers, and had such a festiveappearance, that Mr. Parlin kept exclaiming, "Ah, indeed!" and strokinghis beard. Prudy said she always knew when papa was pleased, for then healways "patted his whiskers. "

The table was very attractive, and everybody had a fine appetite. AfterMr. Parlin had drank a cup of delicious coffee, he no longer rememberedthat he was tired. He looked upon the merry group around him, and saidto his wife, --

"I see, my dear, you are disposed to make the best of our misfortunes. But, after all, you are not quite as meek as one old lady I heard ofonce. "

"Please tell it, if it's a story, papa, " said the children. 

"Not much of a story; only there were two old women who lived bythemselves, and were so very poor that they had nothing in the world toeat but potatoes and salt. One day a friend went to see them, and whenhe sat down to their humble meal of roasted potatoes, he was moved withpity, and told them he was very sorry to see them so poor. 

"Then one of the old ladies rolled up her eyes, and said, 'I was justa-thinkin', neighbor, that this meal is altogether too good for us, we're _so_ unworthy! I only wish the potatoes was froze!'"

The children laughed. 

"But I shouldn't like that old lady, though. I know how she looked: itwas just this way, " said Prudy, drawing down her mouth, and lookingcross-eyed. 

"She didn't want the potatoes frozed, " added Dotty; "for if she did, she might have laid 'em out doors all night, and they'd have freezed ashard as a stick. "

Grandma Read had a thought just then, though she did not express it. Shewas thinking what a contrast this cheerful family presented to another"burnt-out" family, who had this very day moved into a house across thestreet. The mother she had seen from the window, and she lookedperfectly discouraged. The children were fretful, and it seemed as ifthey were all trying, with one accord, to see which could do most tomake the new home disagreeable. 

"I should say they freeze their potatoes, " thought Mrs. Read. 

She meant that, instead of trying to improve matters, they only madethem worse. 

After supper, just as the Parlins were sitting down for a quietevening, the door-bell rang furiously, and shook for a minuteafterwards, as if it were in an ague-fit. Who had come to break up thefamily harmony?

I will tell you in the next chapter. 

CHAPTER X. 

A SURPRISE. 

Norah went to the door, hardly expecting to find any one there; for whenthe bell pealed in that violent manner, it was often some roguish boywho rang it, and then ran away. But this time, to her amazement, therestood on the door-step and in the yard as many as twenty boys and girls. 

"Is Miss Susy Parlin at home?" said one of them. 

"And Miss Prudy?" added another. 

"She is--I mean they are. Will you please walk in?"

As Norah spoke, she swung open the parlor door, too much "fluttered, "as she afterwards said, to announce the arrival in due form. The guestspoured in with all speed. Susy sprang up as suddenly as if the pianostool were exploding; but what to say she did not know, and stood stillin dumb surprise. Prudy caught her by the skirts, and whispered, "Goodevening;" but nobody heard it. Dotty Dimple, not in the least abashed, was about to do the honors, when Mr. And Mrs. Parlin came forward, andrelieved her of the trouble. They greeted the little people verycordially, and gave them a pleasant welcome to the new house. Then Mrs. Parlin directed her daughters to carry away the hats and sacques of theyoung misses; and by the time this ceremony was over, the stiffness hadsomewhat worn away, and Susy and Prudy could breathe more freely. 

Flyaway went up first to one, and then to another, with the question, --

"Did you _came_ to see _me_?"

The two heads of the family retreated, Mr. Parlin saying to his wife asthey went, --

"When you and I were children, we had our parties in the afternoon; butthis is a new fashion, I suppose. "

"It is the first time our little girls have ever received company in theevening, " replied Mrs. Parlin. "I do hope these children will not staylate. It happens that I have made a large quantity of vinegar candy, butnot enough, I think, for the whole company. "

"Very well, " said Mr. Parlin; "and now, as the little people seem to bedoing very nicely, suppose we go out for a walk, and call at aconfectioner's on our way home. "

Susy felt very much flattered by this surprise party. It gave her anassurance that she was held in kind remembrance by her schoolmates, manyof whom had been "burnt out, " and knew exactly how to sympathize withher. 

But Susy's satisfaction was by no means complete. In the first place, Katie would not go to bed, and could not be persuaded to leave the roomany longer than just to bring in her ragged black Dinah, and theyellow-and-white kitten. 

Dinah was passed around the room to be pitied. There was a mustardplaster on her chest, applied that day by Dotty, in order to break up alung fever. Dinah's ankle, which was really broken, had been "set" andmended with a splinter, and was waiting for a new bone to grow. PercyEastman, the oldest boy present, said, --

"Well, cousin Dimple, you and Flyaway do take extra care of Miss Dinah!If you should lose her, you can't have anything to reflect upon. "

Susy did not so much mind the laughter at Dinah's expense; for, althoughsuch a hideous black baby was not suitable for genteel society, still itwas Katie who was exhibiting it, and Katie was pardonable for theweakness. The trying question was, What would the child do next? Therewas nothing certain about Flyaway except her uncertainty. Susy was aboutto appeal to her mother to take the little one away, when she heard thehall door open and shut; her father and mother had gone out for theirwalk. 

It did occur to Susy that this was a great pity; and, indeed, it isquite probable, Mrs. Parlin would not have left the house if she couldhave foreseen how much her presence would be needed. 

And after all it was Dotty Dimple, and not Flyaway, who made the wholetrouble. Flyaway was under every one's feet, it is true, and sat down inthe middle of the floor to comb and brush the kitty's head; but then shenever for a moment lost her temper: it was Dotty, the girl old enough toknow better, who was cross and disagreeable. 

I am sorry to record this of Dotty, and so I will try to make a littleexcuse for her. She was not well. She had hardly felt like herself sincethat unfortunate boat-ride. She was sleepy and tired, and ought to havegone to bed at eight o'clock--the usual hour. Then, again, the guestswere nearly all older than herself, and paid very little attention toher. She thought she might as well have worn her calico wrapper as thisbeautiful white delaine, for all the notice they took of her dress. 

There was only one child present of Dotty's own age, --JohnnyEastman, --and if he would only have played cat's cradle with her, allmight have gone well. But Johnny had not forgotten the severe correctionhis father had given him in the stable with a horsewhip. Every time helooked at his little cousin, the thought arose, --

"She was real mean to run and tell! I'll pay her for that--won't I, though?"

Percy had promised to aid him in his revenge; and you will presentlylearn what this was to be. Percy liked "cousin Dimple" very well; he wasonly putting a wicked scheme into his little brother's head "just forthe fun of the thing. "

The guests were talking of having a few tableaux and charades, like somethey had seen arranged by their older sisters. 

"I don't care anything about their old tolly-blows--do you, Johnny?"said Dotty. "Let's play 'I spy'--you and I. "

"No, you don't catch me playing high spy with such a cross party as youare, Dot Dimple. "

"I wish you'd stop calling me a 'cross party' the whole time, JohnnyEastman, " replied Dotty, shaking her elbows. 

Just then Susy came, and whispered a few words in her ear. 

"No, I won't be hung! I'm sure I won't be hung!" cried Dotty, who was bythis time very much out of sorts. 

"O, Dotty! what makes you act so? We've got a charade, 'Crisis. ' Half ofus are going to play it for the other half to guess. We only want toweigh you, with a yardstick through an old shawl; that's all. Come, letus pin you up; there's a goody girl. "

"I don't want to be a goody girl. I'm too big to be goody. If you want ababy to make believe with, why don't you take Flyaway? She's littlerthan me. "

"There, there!" said Prudy, coming to the rescue, "you needn't do asingle thing, Dotty, if you don't want to. We didn't know but you'd liketo play be weighed, you can squeal so be-_you_-tifully!"

"I know I can squeal just like a rubber doll; but s'posin' they shouldlet me fall off the yardstick--where'd I go to then?"

"O, but they wouldn't!"

"Of course they would, Prudy Parlin. And I should fall right into thetolly-blow--that's where I should fall to. "

"O, pshaw!" exclaimed Percy, coming into the corner where his cousinsstood; "if cousin Dimple has got into one of her contrary fits, it's ofno use teasing. You might as well try to move the side of the house. "

This cutting speech was all that was needed to complete Dotty's illhumor. Did she remember any longer her promise not to get angry, but toswallow her temper right down? No, indeed; she forgot everything but herown self-will. 

"Don't you speak again, Percy, or I'll scream my throat right in two!"

"Girls, I advise you to let that child alone, " said her cousin, with alook of supreme contempt. "Let's try Flyaway; she's a little darling. Here, Flyaway, are'n't you willing to be pinned up in a shawl if we'llgive you a whole cent?"

"Course, indeed, so!" replied the little one, tossing her kitten acrossa chair, and into the fireplace. "But you mus' gi' me mucher'n that! Gi'me hunnerd cents!"

No answer was made to this, except to dress the child in a ruffled capand long clothes, and pin her into a plaid shawl. 

"Now cry, " said Percy; "cry just as if you had soap in your eyes. "

"Ee! Ee!" wailed Katie, loudly. 

"No, cry _weak_; cry just as you did when you were a baby. "

"I don't 'member when I was a baby, 'twas so _many_ years ago, " sighedFlyaway. 

But she practised crying again, and succeeded very well, Dotty all thewhile looking on in grim displeasure. 

Susy was the mamma; and when the folding-doors opened upon the scene"Cry, " she was sitting in a rocking-chair, admiring her child, aremarkably well-grown baby, two months old. 

"Just the image of his papa, Mrs. Pettibone!" cried Florence Eastman, rushing in, in the character of an old lady, her head adorned with ascoop bonnet. "Let me look at the precious little creature! Yes, justthe image of his papa! I said so before I ever set eyes on him. He's twomonths of age, you say, and how many teeth?"

"She is a girl, " replied Mrs. Susy, kissing the big bundle, "and weighstwenty-nine pounds, three inches. "

Susy meant "ounces. "

Then followed a chat between herself and a few little old ladiesconcerning catnip and "pep'mint" tea; after which the wonderful baby washeld up by the yardstick to be weighed. 

Flyaway had not expected to be suspended so high in the air. She forgotthe baby-like cry she had been practising, and screamed out in terror, --

"I wish I didn't be to Portland! O, I wish I didn't be to Portland!"

As this was a very long speech for a baby two months old, the audiencewere taken by surprise, and laughed heartily. Poor little Flyaway waslifted out of the shawl, and kissed over and over again. She had notplayed properly, it is true, but she had intended to do right, and wasapplauded for her good intentions. 

Dotty saw and heard the whole. She was sorry she had refused the part, and she put her fingers in her mouth, and sulked, because little Flyawayhad been stealing the praise she might have received herself. 

After both syllables of the charade had been acted and guessed, then theother half of the company took their turn, and attempted to arrange atableau. There was a deal of confusion. No one knew exactly what oughtto be done. They were to have a Goddess of Liberty, and finally decidedto dress her in an embroidered window curtain, with a shield on herbreast made of a blue box cover, striped with yellow silk. Dotty wasselected as goddess, on account of her superior beauty. 

"But my mamma never 'lows me to wear window curtains, and I sha'n't be atolly-blow 'thout I can wear my white dress with red spots, and a bigbosom-pin in!"

"And a shaker, " suggested one of the girls. "I didn't know before thatSusy Parlin had such a bad sister. "

This was too much. Dotty's head was on fire. She caught the girl by theshoulder, and shook her as if she had been a breadth of dusty carpeting;then ran away. 

Which way she went she did not heed, and never stopped till she came toa dark pantry, which had been made without any windows, on purpose tokeep out flies. The unhappy child threw herself, out of breath, upon thefloor of this closet, her heart beating high with rage and shame. 

CHAPTER XI. 

JOHNNY'S REVENGE. 

Dotty's cross behavior had entirely spoiled the pleasure of the eveningfor her two sisters. They felt, as they had felt years before, when theysaw her, a mere baby, perched upon the wood-box, with her hands and feettied--they felt that it was a family disgrace. 

All these little boys and girls, who had never known before what Dotty'stemper was, knew all about it now; they would talk of it to one another;they would go home and tell of it, and remember it forever and ever. 

"And, O dear!" thought Susy, "they won't know she was born so, andcan't help it. "

For that this was the case, Susy firmly believed. 

"I've got it written in my journal, " thought Prudy, "how she promised toswallow it down; but Dotty isn't well, and that's the reason she can'tremember. "

Both the sisters knew that Dotty had left the parlors, and they werevery glad of it. They did not attempt to follow her. They did not knowprecisely where she had gone, but presumed she was pouting somewhere. That there could be danger of any sort for the poor child in that housethey never dreamed. Neither did Mr. Or Mrs. Parlin dream it, or theywould have walked home a little faster from their visit to the whitetents on Green Street. 

The games went on as usual, and were quite as amusing to the guests asif they had not been very poor ones indeed. Susy and Prudy need not havefeared that the little people would not have a good time; the "surpriseparty" was a perfect success, and Dotty's ill-humor made no one unhappybut her sensitive sisters. Meanwhile the wretched child was lying on thepantry floor, thinking very confused thoughts. 

"I wish I was dead. No I don't. I'm too wicked. But I wasn't anywickeder 'n that girl. She said Susy Parlin had a bad sister. What madeher say that? She knew I'd hear. I'm glad I shook her. No, I'm sorry. Itwas murder--the Bible says so. Johnny murdered too--murdered me. Hecalled me a 'cross party. ' That was a story. Johnny's wickeder 'n ever_I_ was. 

"Prudy thought I ought to be a baby. Percy thought so. He said, 'Idevise you to let that child alone. ' I'm going to let _him_ alone! Allthe time! Did I want to fall off that yardstick, right into thetolly-blow?

"There's Prudy: she can be good; it doesn't hurt her. It hurts _me_ tobe good; it tires me all up. 

"And here it is, as dark as a pickpocket. " (Dotty raised her head andtook a survey. ) "Why, the moon can't get here, nor the sun. Is this downcellar? No, I didn't see any stairs. Where did I go to when I came? Iwalked right on the floor. What floor? Was it the dining-room, or was itout doors? I didn't look at it to see. 

"This is a 'cuddy. ' There's ever so many 'cuddies' in this house to hidein. I've gone and hid. Nobody'll ever find me. My father'll say, 'Why, where's that child?' And my mother'll say, 'I don't know. ' And they'llhunt all over the house; and I shall keep my head in my apron, and won'tsay a word. 

"Then Prudy'll say, 'O, my darling sister Dotty! How sweet and good shewas!'

"And they'll think I'm dead! And Susy'll cry out loud, and tell Percy, and he'll say, 'O, how sorry I am I said "I devise you to let that childalone"!'"

Dotty sighed as she pictured to herself Percy's conscience-strickenface. 

"And that girl that called me a bad sister--how _she'll_ feel! AndJohnny--I guess Johnny won't say 'cross party' any more!

"Grandma--why, grandma'll read the Bible. And O, such a time!

"That Angeline girl will remember how she rocked that darling Dotty, andtold me stories. "

Dotty was seized with a sudden shivering. The stories came back to hermind vividly. If Angeline had told her simple little tales of every-daylife, Dotty might have forgotten them; but, like all children, she hadan active imagination, and anything marvellous or horrible made a deepimpression. 

The current of her thoughts was changed as soon as she remembered thoseunknown ghosts of Angeline's description. 

"All white, wrapped in a sheet. Put a knife through, and they don't knowit. No blood, no bones, no anything. Go through a keyhole. Will they, though? Prudy don't believe it. Am I anywhere near a keyhole? I don'tknow. I've gone and hid, and I can't find myself. I'm somewhere, but Idon't know where. "

Dotty began to feel very uncomfortable. There was no longer theslightest satisfaction in the thought of frightening the family. Shewas frightened herself, and with the worst kind of fear--the fear of thesupernatural. 

"I can't see the leastest thing, and I can't hear anything, either. Ghosts don't make any noise. May be there are some in this house: beenlocked up, and the man didn't know it. "

The silence seemed to grow deeper. Dotty could hear her heart beat. 

"My heart thumps like a mouse in the wall. I'm going to get out of thisplace. I feel as if there's a ghost in here. It creeps all over me. Ican't get my breath. "

Dotty rose cautiously; but she had been lying so long in a crampedposition that both her feet were asleep. While trying to recover herbalance she caught at something, which proved to be a glass jar ofraspberry jam. The cover came off, and the jam poured down her neck ina thick stream. 

"My beautiful white dress with the red spots! Who put that dirty thingin my way? Smells like purserves. They ought to be ashamed!"

Dotty tried bearing her weight on both feet, and found she could walk. 

"But I've whirled round three or four times. I didn't ever know whichway to go, and now I'm sure I don't know so well as I did in the firstplace. If I step any more, perhaps I'll step into some molasses. "

Dotty's meditations were becoming more confused than ever. Now it wasnot only ghosts, but jam and jelly which went to make up the terrors ofthe situation. But she was growing desperate. She groped right and left, saying to herself, --

"Where's the _out_?"

At last she came to the door, which she had unconsciously closed whenshe entered the pantry. She opened it, and her eyes were greeted withlight. It was the moon shining in at the kitchen windows. 

Her fears vanished. She was just wondering whether to return to theparlor in a forgiving spirit, or to stay away and make everybodyunhappy, when a strange, horrible object met her view, --not white, butyellow. 

Was it--was it--a truly, truly _ghost_? O, it must be a ghost on fire!It hadn't any sheet round it. Nothing was to be seen but a hideous headpeeping in at the window. No man ever looked like that. No man ever hadsuch a mouth. It was as deep as a cave, and all ablaze. Somebody hadgone and swallowed a stove; somebody had come to do--do--O, what had hecome to do?

"It's a yellow ghost!" thought Dotty. "I didn't know they had such akind. Angeline never said so. But its eyes are just like her ghosts'eyes--going to burn you up!"

These thoughts darted through Dotty's mind like lightning-flashes. Atthe same time she gave one loud, terrified scream, and fell forward uponthe floor. She did not rise, she did not speak, she seemed scarcely tobreathe. The shock had partially stunned her. 

"Why, Dotty--Dotty Dimple!" exclaimed Percy, rushing in at the backdoor, and seizing his little cousin by the shoulders. "Look up here, darling! 'Twas nobody but me!"

No answer. 

"Nobody but me and Percy, " said Johnny, pulling Dotty's ears to attracther attention. 

"Only a jack-o'-lantern, you dear little ducky, " cried Percy. 

"A pumpkin, you goosie, " said Johnny. 

No reply, but a sudden choking, followed by convulsive sobs. Whether thechild heard and understood what was said to her, Percy could notdetermine. He was old enough to know that a sudden and powerful shock isalways more or less dangerous. He redoubled his efforts. 

"Look, dear, here's the pumpkin. Holes cut out for eyes. A gash for themouth. A candle stuck in. "

"Smart girl!" ejaculated Johnny, who was too young and ignorant to seeanything but amusement in the whole affair. "Smart girl, scared of apumpkin!"

"Johnny was angry with you, " went on Percy, rather nervously; "he saidhe wanted to tease you. I brought the pumpkin from our house. I'msorry. Look up, Dimple, see what it is! Don't be afraid. Laugh, or ifyou can't laugh, cry. Here's my handkerchief. "

Dotty continued to moan. 

Percy caught her up in his arms. "Any pump in the house? Johnny, getsome water somewhere, quick! and then run for the camphor bottle. "

Percy was at his wit's end. He ran round and round, with the little girlin his arms. She had life enough to cling to his neck. Johnny saw a pailof water, dipped a tea-strainer into it, and dashed two drops inDotty's face. 

"That won't do, boy! Throw on a quartful! Hurry!"

Johnny promptly obeyed. Dotty gasped for breath, and uttered a scream. Percy felt encouraged. 

"More, Johnny; the whole pailful. We'll have her out of thisdouble-quick--"

Just as Percy had extended his little cousin on the floor, and Johnnyhad poured enough water over her to soak every thread of her clothing, there was a sound of foot-steps. Mr. And Mrs. Parlin were coming in atthe back door. 

"What does this mean?" they both exclaimed, very much alarmed, as mighthave been expected. There lay their little daughter, screaming andgurgling, her mouth full of water, her dress stained with the raspberryjam, which was easily mistaken for blood. 

"Why, uncle Edward, " stammered Percy, "'twas a--"

"Why, auntie, " cried Johnny, "'twas only a pumpkin. She went and wasafraid of a pumpkin!"

The cause of this direful affright, the lighted jack-o'-lantern, waslying face upward on the floor, the candle within it smoking anddripping with tallow. One glance explained the whole mystery. 

But by this time there seemed to be no further cause for anxiety withregard to Dotty. She gathered herself together, sat upright, and beganto scold. 

"'Twas blazing a-fire, mamma. He lighted it to plague me--Johnny did. "

"I'm ever so sorry, auntie, " said Percy, and his regretful face said asmuch as his words. 

"Johnny scared me to death, " broke in Dotty; "and then he pumped wateron me all over--Johnny did. "

"I'll never do so again, " said Percy, shamed by the look of reproach inhis uncle's face. 

"See that you remember your promise, my boy. You have run a great riskto-night. "

No one supposed, at the time, that Dotty had received a serious injury;but she did not sleep off the effects of her fright. She was remarkablypale next morning, and declined her breakfast. She had not been well forsome time, but she had not trembled as now at the opening and shuttingof a door. It was plain that her nerves had been quite unstrung. 

Days passed, and still she did not seem quite like herself. Her fathertold the family physician she was not well, and asked what it was bestto do with her. The doctor said he thought she only needed time enough, and she would recover her "tone. "

"I have an idea, " said Mr. Parlin to his wife some days after this. "Ifyou approve, I believe I'll take the child West with me, next time I gothere on business. I took Prudy once, and it is no more than fair thatthe other children should have their turn. "

"We will see, " said Mrs. Parlin; and so it was left. The subject wasnever mentioned before Dotty; but here is what Prudy said of it in herjournal:--

 "_Sept. 5th. _--I think my little sister Dotty will go out West to see aunt Maria, &c. ; but anybody mus'n't ever tell her of it. She is very pale, they poured so much water over her that night, and she thought it was a yellow ghost. 

 "I _told_ her it was very, very wrong to sit in Angeline's lap and hear her talk so. We mus'n't believe anything for certain except Bible stories. 

 "She has had temper, and shook Ada Farley. But that was before she was frightened by the ghost, so she couldn't get her breath; and she won't do it again. Finis. "

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 THE ORATOR. 

In this department, of particular interest to schools, Exercises inDeclamation are selected, and marked for delivery, illustrated byengraved figures. This is an original feature, not to be found in anyother Magazine, giving the subscriber

 26 ILLUSTRATED EXERCISES IN ELOCUTION EACH YEAR!

 * * * * *

 DIALOGUES. 

This usually neglected feature of Magazines receives particularattention in "OUR BOYS AND GIRLS. " The best writers of Dialogues havebeen secured, and Oliver Optic's Magazine will give

 26 ORIGINAL DIALOGUES EACH YEAR!

 * * * * *

 A YEAR'S VOLUME. 

The volume for the year 1867 contained three Serial Stories by OLIVEROPTIC, 35 Poems, 39 Speeches for Declamation, 26 Original Dialogues, 68Stories by other authors, 1212 Puzzles, 158 Illustrated Rebuses, &c. 

[Illustration: Advertisement for Oliver Optic's Magazine with a rebus]

 OLIVER OPTIC'S MAGAZINE. 

 HEAD-WORK. 

 CONTAINING

 GEOGRAPHICAL REBUSES, PUZZLES, SYNCOPATIONS, GEOGRAPH'L QUESTIONS, PROVERBIAL ANAGRAMS, ENIGMAS, CHARADES AND NUMERICAL PUZZLES, Contributed by the subscribers and rendered unusually attractive byoriginal features

 NOT TO BE FOUND IN ANY OTHER MAGAZINE. 

[Illustration: Advertisement for Oliver Optic's Books]

 OLIVER OPTIC'S BOOKS. 

Each series in a neat box. Sold in sets or separately. 

=Young America Abroad. =

A Library of Travel and Adventure in Foreign Lands. 16mo. Illustrated byStevens, Perkins, and others. Per vol. , $1. 50. 

 _OUTWARD BOUND. _ _RED CROSS. _ _SHAMROCK AND THISTLE. _ _DIKES AND DITCHES. _ Others in preparation. 

=Starry Flag Series. =

Illustrated. Per volume, $1. 25. Comprising:

 _THE STARRY FLAG. _ _SEEK AND FIND. _ _BREAKING AWAY. _ Others in preparation. 

=The Soldier Boy Series. =

Three vols. , illust. , in neat box. Per vol. , $1. 50. Comprising:

 _THE SOLDIER BOY. _ _THE YOUNG LIEUTENANT. _ _FIGHTING JOE. _

=The Sailor Boy Series. =

Three vols. , illust. , in neat box. Per vol. , $1. 50. Comprising:

 _THE SAILOR BOY. _ _THE YANKEE MIDDY. _ _BRAVE OLD SALT. _

=Woodville Stories. =

Uniform with Library for Young People. Six vols. 16mo. 

Each volume handsomely illustrated, and complete in itself, orin sets in neat boxes. 16mo. Per vol. , $1. 25. 

 _RICH AND HUMBLE. _ _WATCH AND WAIT. _ _HOPE AND HAVE. _ _IN SCHOOL AND OUT. _ _WORK AND WIN. _ _HASTE AND WASTE. _

=Famous "Boat-Club" Series. =

Library for Young People. Handsomely illustrated. Six vols. , in neat box. Per vol. , $1. 25. Comprising:

 _THE BOAT CLUB. _ _NOW OR NEVER. _ _POOR AND PROUD. _ _ALL ABOARD. _ _TRY AGAIN. _ _LITTLE BY LITTLE. _

=Riverdale Story Books. =

Six vols. , profusely illustrated from new designs by Billings. In neat box. Cloth. Per vol. , 45 cts. Comprising:

 _LITTLE MERCHANT. _ _YOUNG VOYAGERS. _ _DOLLY AND I. _ _PROUD AND LAZY. _ _CARELESS KATE. _ _ROBINSON CRUSOE, JR. _

=Flora Lee Story Books. =

Companions to the above. Profusely illust'd from new designsby Billings. In neat box. Cloth. Per vol. , 45 cts. Comprising:

 _CHRISTMAS GIFT. _ _UNCLE BEN. _ _BIRTHDAY PARTY. _ _THE PICNIC PARTY. _ _THE GOLD THIMBLE. _ _THE DO-SOMETHINGS. _

=The Way of the World. =

By WILLIAM T. ADAMS (Oliver Optic). 12mo. $2. 00. 

Sold by all Booksellers and Newsdealers, or sent by mail post-paidon receipt of price. 

 LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers, 149 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON. 

Transcriber's Notes:

Inconsistent hyphenation of words in original text has been retained(afire, a-fire). 

Inconsistent or unusual spelling of contractions in the original texthas been retained (sha'n't and shan't, mus'n't and musn't, are'n't). 

Page 9, missing close quote inserted. (mamma? _Is_ I?")

Page 35, misplaced apostrophe fixed. ('twill)

Page 42, "woful" changed to "woeful". (that woeful Fourth of July)

Page 46, word after comma starts with uppercase. Original text retained. (she added, faintly, "If 'twasn't)

Page 56, missing close quote inserted. (cross old party, miss. ")

Page 73, unusual spelling of "Monuement" retained. (make a Bunger HillMonuement)

Page 144, word after comma starts with uppercase. Original textretained. (The trying question was, What would the child)