CHAPTER VII.
A DAY ON THE SOFA.
When Dotty Dimple awoke that morning, she was very much astonished tosee the sun so high.
"The sky looks very clean," said she, "and I should think it might aftersuch a washing."
She did not know it, but for some reason the pure blue of the heavensmade her feel dissatisfied with herself. Since she had slept upon it,her last night's conduct seemed worse to her than ever. All this whileher grandmamma's forgiveness had not been asked. Must it be asked? Dottyhung her proud head for shame. Then she offered her morning prayer, andpromised God that henceforth she would try to be good.
"If Jennie Vance only stays away," added she, meekly.
The fact was, Dotty was losing faith in herself. She had boasted thatshe never told a lie; she had "preached" to Jennie Vance; and now,behold, what had she been doing herself! The child was full of goodresolutions to-day, but she began to find that her strongest purposesdid not hold together any longer than her gingham dresses.
Her foot was so lame and swollen that she made believe the staircase wasa hill, and slid down it accordingly. As she hobbled by the parlor door,she saw her Aunt Maria seated on the sofa sewing. It must be very late,she knew. Little Flyaway, who had been chasing the cat, ran to meet her,looking very joyful because her cousin had overslept herself.
"It's half past o'clock," said she, clapping her little hands; "halfpast o'clock, Dotty Dimple!"
Dotty felt quite ashamed, but her grandmother assured her that althoughit was nearly ten o'clock, she was perfectly excusable. She seated herin an easy chair, and gave her a cracker to nibble; for Dotty said shewas not hungry, and did not care for breakfast.
There was one thought uppermost in the little girl's mind: she must askher grandmother's forgiveness. Some children might not have seen thenecessity, but Dotty had been well instructed at home; she knew thisgood, kind grandmamma was deserving of the highest respect, and if anyof her grandchildren disobeyed her, they could do no less thanacknowledge their fault. But Dotty was a very proud child; she could nothumble herself yet.
Mrs. Parlin dressed the lame foot, and pitied it, and was very sorry thelittle girl had any soreness of the throat; but not a word of reproachdid she utter; she was waiting to see if Dotty had anything to say forherself.
Susy and Prudy had gone to Aunt Martha's and, till "the Charlie boy"came, there was no one at home for company but little Katie. Dotty didnot wish to think; so she made the best of the little ones, and played"keep school."
Black Dinah was the finest-looking pupil, but there were several othersmade of old shawls and table-covers, who sat bolt upright, and boretheir frequent whippings very meekly. Katie and Charlie each held abirch switch, and took the government of the school, while Dotty did theteaching.
"Spell _man_," said Dotty, sternly, pointing with a bodkin at Dinah.
Dinah was sulky, and kept her red silk mouth shut; but Dotty answeredfor her: "m, a, n, man."
"To," said she to the black and white shawl: "t, o, to." "Put," to thegreen table-cover: "p, u, t, put."
"We 'shamed o' you," said Katie, beating the whole school unmercifully."Why don't you mind in a minute? Let _me_ spell 'em! Hush, Dinah! Sayput! T, o, put!"
"I think," said Dotty, laughing, "it is time now for Dinah to take hermusic lesson."
"Yes," said Katie, "lady wants um to packus."
So the colored miss was set on the music stool, and both her kid handsspread out upon the keys.
"Don't um packus booful?" said Katie, admiringly.
But next moment Charlie was punishing the pupil because she didn't"breeve." "Kady wanth her to breeve when her packithith."
As it was an ingrain misfortune of Dinah's that she could not breathe,she showed no signs of repentance.
"Stop!" said Dotty; "she looks faint; it is rheumatism, I think."
"O, O, roosum-tizzum! Poo' Dinah!" said Katie.
"We must pack her in a wet sheet," said Dotty.
Katie was sent to the kitchen for a towel and a basin of water; and verysoon Dinah's clothes were removed, and she was rolled up in a pack;like the boy in the swamp, with "not a bit of her out but the end of hernose."
"Ow! Ow!" cried Katie, in a tone of agony, speaking for Dinah. "Ow! O,dear!"
This was what the black patient would have said, no doubt, if she hadhad her faculties. Aunt Maria came in, a little alarmed, to inquire whatwas the matter with Katie.
"Nuffin, mamma, only we _suffer_ Dinah," replied the child, dancinground the patient; "her wants to ky, but her can't. Gets caught in herteef comin' out!"
"Very well," said Mrs. Clifford, kissing the small nurse, "you may'suffer' Dinah as much as you like, but please don't scream quite soloud."
"Is grandma busy, Aunt 'Ria?" said Dotty; "because I'd like to see hera moment."
The child had seized her knitting-work. Her face was flushed and eager.She thought she felt brave enough to open her heart to her grandmother;but when Mrs. Parlin entered the nursery, her face beaming withkindness, Dotty was not ready.
"O, grandma," stammered she, "are there any ducks hatched? Don't youthink that hen is very slow and very lazy?"
Mrs. Parlin knew her little granddaughter had not called her out of thekitchen merely to ask about the poultry. She seated herself on the sofa,and drew Dotty's head into her lap.
"Please look at my knitting-work, grandma. Shall I seam that stitch or_plain_ it?"
"You are doing very well," said Mrs. Parlin, looking at the work; "youseamed in the right place."
Dotty cast about in her mind for something more to say.
"Grandma, you know what fireflies are? Well, if you scratch 'em willthey light a lamp? Susy says they have _fosfos_ under their wings, likea match."
"No, Alice; with all the scratching in the world, they could not be madeto light a lamp."
Dotty sighed.
"Grandma, there are some things in this world I hate, and one isskeetos."
"They are vexatious little creatures, it is true."
There was a long pause.
"Grandma, are skeetos idiotic? You said people without brains wereidiotic, and there isn't any place in a skeeto's head for brains."
"Dotty," said grandma, rising with a smile, "if you sent for me to askme such foolish questions as these, I must really beg to be excused. Ihave a pudding to make for dinner."
"Grandma, O, grandma," cried Dotty, seizing her skirts, "I havesomething to say, now truly; something real sober. I--I--"
"Well, my dear," said Mrs. Parlin, encouragingly.
"I--I--O, grandma, which do you think can knit the best, Prudy or I?"
"My dear Dotty," said the kind grandmother, stroking the child's hair,"don't be afraid to tell the whole story. I know you have a trouble atyour heart. Do you think you were a naughty girl last night?"
DOTTY AND "THE CHARLIE BOY."--Page 113.]
Dotty's head drooped. She tried to say, "Yes, ma'am;" but, likeDinah, "the words got caught in her teef comin' out."
"We didn't go where you thought we did, grandma," faltered she at last."Mr. Crossman has two orchards, and we went to just the one you wouldn'thave s'posed."
"Yes, dear; so I have learned to-day."
"I deceived you a-purpose, grandma; for if I hadn't deceived you, youwouldn't have let me go."
There was a sorrowful expression on Mrs. Parlin's face as she listenedto these words, though they told her nothing new.
"Has you got a pain, gamma?" said little Katie, tenderly.
"I did another wickedness, grandma," said Dotty, in a low voice; "I wentbarefoot, and you never said I might."
"Poor little one, you were sorely punished for that," said grandma,kindly.
"And another, too, I did; I threw my basket away; but that wasn't muchwicked; Jennie made me think perhaps 'twas a non."
"A what?"
"A _non_, that catches lightning, you know; so I threw it away to savemy life."
Grandma smiled.
"And
now," continued Dotty, twirling her fingers, "can you--canyou--forgive me, grandma?"
"Indeed I can and will, child, if you are truly sorry."
"There now, grandma," said Dotty, looking distressed, "you think I don'tfeel sorry because I don't cry. I can't cry as much as Prudy does, ever;and besides, I cried all my tears away last night."
Dotty rubbed her eyes vigorously as she spoke, but no "happy mist" cameover them.
"Why, my dear little Alice," said grandmamma, "it is quite unnecessaryfor you to rub your eyes. Don't you know you can _prove_ to me that youare sorry?"
"How, grandma?"
"Never do any of these naughty things again. That is the way I shallknow that you really repent. Sometimes children think they are sorry,and make a great parade, but forget it next day, and repeat theoffence."
"Indeed, grandma, I don't mean ever to deceive or disobey again," saidDotty, with a great deal more than her usual humility.
"Ask your heavenly Father to help you keep that promise," said Mrs.Parlin, solemnly.