CHAPTER IV.
DOTTY'S CAMEL.
Matters were soon set right with Mrs. Gray, who was sorry she had notspoken frankly to Mrs. Parlin in the first place, instead of goingsecretly to the neighbors and complaining that she did not receive herdue allowance of milk. Perhaps it was a good lesson for the doctor'swife; for she ceased to gossip about the Parlins, and even took thepains to correct the wrong story with regard to the pearl breastpin.
After this Dotty and Katie carried the milk as usual; only they neverstopped under the acorn tree any more to play "King and Queen." Notthat Dotty felt much shame. She held herself in high esteem. She knewshe had done wrong, but thought that by telling the truth so nobly shehad atoned for all.
"I am almost as good as the little girls in the Sunday school books,"said she; "now there's Jennie Vance--I'm afraid she fibs."
Jennie called one day to ask Dotty and Flyaway to go to school with her.
"Jennie," said Miss Dimple, gravely, as they were walking with Katiebetween them, "do they ever read the Bible to you?"
"Yes; why?"
"O, nothing; only you don't act as if you know anything about it."
"I guess my mother is one of the first ladies in this town, Miss Dimple,and she's told me the story of Joseph's coat till I know it by heart."
"Well," said Dotty, looking very solemn, "it hasn't done you any good,Jennie Vance. Now, I learn verses every Sunday, and one is this: 'Lienot one to another.' What think of that?"
Jennie's black eyes snapped. "I heard that before ever you did."
"Lie not one to another," repeated Dotty, slowly. "Now, I'm _one_,Jennie, and you're _another_; and isn't it wicked when we tell theleastest speck of a fib?"
"Of course 'tis," was the prompt reply; "but I don't tell 'em."
"O, Jennie, who told your step-mother that Charlie Gray was tied up in ameal-bag? I'm afraid," said Dotty, laying her hand solemnly on littleKatie's head as if it had been a pulpit-cushion, and she a ministerpreaching,--"I'm afraid, Jennie, _you_ lie one to another."
"One to anudder," echoed Katie, breaking away and running after a toad.Jennie knitted her brows. "It doesn't look very well for such a smallchild as you are to preach to me, Dot Parlin!"
"But _I_ always tell the white truth myself, Jennie, because God hearsme. Do _you_ think much about God?"
"No, I don't know as I do; nobody does, He's so far off," said Jennie,stooping to pluck an innocent flower.
"Why, Jennie, He isn't far off at all! He's everywhere, and here too. Heholds this world, and all the people, right in His arms; right in Hisarms, just as if 'twas nothing but a baby."
Dotty's tones were low and earnest.
"Who told you so?" said Jennie.
"My mamma; and she says we couldn't move nor breathe without Him not aminute."
"There, I did then!" cried Jennie, taking a long breath; "I breathed waydown ever so far, and I did it myself."
"O, but God let you."
Dotty felt very good and wise, and as she had finished giving herbenighted friend a lesson, she thought she would speak now of every daymatters.
"Look at those little puddles in the road," said she; "don't they makeyou think of pudding-sauce--molasses and cream, I mean--forhasty-pudding?"
"No," said Jennie, tossing her head, "I never saw any pudding-sauce thatlooked a speck like that dirty stuff! Besides, we don't use molasses atour house; rich folks never do; nobody but poor folks."
"O, what a story!" said Dotty, coloring. "I guess you have molassesgingerbread, if your father _is_ the judge!"
Dotty was very much wounded. This was not the first time her littlefriend had referred to her own superior wealth. "Dear, dear! Wasn't itbad enough to have to wear Prudy's old clothes, when Jennie had new onesand no big sister? She's always telling hints about people's being poor!Why, my papa isn't _much_ poor, only he don't buy me gold rings and silkdresses, and my mamma wouldn't let me wear 'em if he did; so there!"
By the time they reached the school-house, Dotty was almost too angry tospeak. They took their seats with Katie between them (when she was notunder their feet or in their laps), and looked over in the Testament.The large scholars "up in the back seats," and in fact all but the verysmall ones, were in the habit of reading aloud two verses each. Thismorning it was the nineteenth chapter of Matthew, and Dotty paid littleheed till her ear was caught by these words, read quite slowly andclearly by Abby Grant:--
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a richman shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven.
"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through theeye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Dolly's heart gave a great bound. That meant Judge Vance just as sure asthe world. Wasn't he rich, and didn't Jennie boast of it as if it was agreat thing? She touched her friend's arm, and pointed with her smallforefinger to the passage; but Jennie did not understand.
"It isn't my turn," whispered she; "what are you nudging me for?"
"Don't you see your papa isn't going to heaven?" said Dotty. "God won'tlet him in, because he's rich."
"I don't believe it," said Jennie quite unmoved.
"O, but God won't, for the Bible says so. He can't get in any more thana camel can get into a needle; and you know a camel can't."
"But the needle can go into a camel," said Jennie, thoughtfully;"perhaps that's what it means."
"O, no," whispered Dotty. "I know better'n that. I'm very sorry yourpapa is rich."
"But he isn't so very rich," said Jennie, looking sober.
"You always said he was," said Dotty, with a little triumph.
"Well, he isn't rich enough for _that_! He's only rich a littlemite,--just a little teenty tonty mite," added Jennie, as she looked atDotty's earnest face, and saw the rare tear gathering on her eyelashes.
"But _my_ father isn't rich the least bit of a speck," said Dotty, witha sudden joy. "Nobody ever said he was. Not so rich, at any rate,Jennie, but you could put it through a needle. You could put it througha needle just as easy."
Jennie felt very humble--a strange thing for her. This was a new way oflooking at things.
"Of course _he'll_ go to heaven, you know," said Dotty; "there's notrouble about that."
"I s'pose he will," sighed Jennie, looking at her beautiful gold ringwith less pleasure than usual. She had been in the habit of twirling itabout her finger, and telling the little girls it was made of real"carrot gold." But just at this moment she didn't care so much aboutit; and it even seemed to her that Dotty's little hand looked very niceand white without any rings. Perhaps people had not admired the glitterof her forefinger so very much, after all. How did she know but they hadsaid, "Look at Judge Vance's little daughter. Isn't she ashamed to wearthat ring when it's a sign her father is rich, and can't go to heaven?"The child began to wish there would come holes in her father's pocketsand let out the money; for she supposed he kept it all in his pockets,of course.
"I shall tell my mother about it," mused she; "and I don't believe butshe'll laugh and say, 'That Dotty Dimple is a very queer child.'"
But just at this time little Katie began to peep into Jennie's pocketsfor "candy-seeds" (that is, sugared spices), and to behave in many waysso badly that Miss Prince said she must be taken home. So the girls ledher out between them; and that was the last Jennie thought of the camel.But Dotty remembered it all the way home.