CHAPTER III.
DOTTY'S VERSES.
By the time Alice Parlin was three years old she could prattle like abobolink, and thought herself quite as old and wise as either of hersisters. Every Sunday morning it made her very wretched to see Susy andPrudy set out, with bright faces, for Sabbath school!
"Mayn't me go, too?" said she, plaintively. "Me's got the coop; _must_go to Sabber school!"
"O," replied Prudy, snatching a kiss from her pouting lips, "if you'vegot the croup you certainly can't go."
Dotty shook her curls. "Coop's went off now. Dotty'll go, all o' _you_."
"O, no, little sister; you'll stay at home and look at your pictures.That's the way _I_ did when I was little."
"You mustn't _contraspute_," cried Dotty, shaking her elbows. "I _is_goin' to Sabber school." Then suddenly showing her dimples, she addedwith a bright smile, "'Cause I's your comfort, you know, Prudy, yourdarlin', precious little comfort; isn't I, Prudy?"
"Dear me," thought tender Prudy, "the poor little thing always has tostay at home. I'll ask mother to let her go with me next time. It isright for me to ask, for I'm sure I don't _want_ her to go; so it isn'tselfish!"
Mrs. Parlin had a great many doubts as to Dotty's good behavior, but atlast consented. She felt pretty safe to trust her with Prudy, who wasvery patient, and had even now a memory longer than Susy's.
Before the time came to start for Sabbath school, Dotty stood a longwhile before the mirror, looking up at her gay hat and down at hercunning gaiters. She liked nice clothes, and it pleased her to seeherself so prettily dressed.
"Is that you, O you darlin' Dotty?" said she, nodding her vain littlehead, and smiling till her dimples "twinkled." "Well, good by, Dotty;I's goin' to Sabber school."
"O, hurry, hurry!" cried Susy; "we'll surely be late."
They stepped out upon the pavement, Dotty walking between her sisters.
"We can't hurry, you know," said Prudy, "because Dotty's feet are solittle."
"_I_ never should have thought of bringing her," exclaimed Susy. "Anyone would think she'd been eating snails. When she takes up her foot sheshakes it before she puts it down."
"O, what a 'tory!" said Dotty Dimple, tossing her head. "I never shakedmy foot; did I, Prudy?"
But Prudy had suddenly turned about, and gone back to the house, sayingshe had forgotten something. She had left home without kissing hermother good by, and nothing could console Prudy for the loss of one ofher mother's caresses.
"There, girls, I'm back again," said she, catching her breath. "Now,Dotty, let's we see how fast we can walk."
"Drefful dirty," said Dotty, scowling at her overshoes.
"Yes," replied Susy, "this snow has been round on the ground a goodwhile. It's most time it went back to heaven to get clean."
"What do you mean by snow's going to heaven?" said Prudy, gazing at thestreet, which was half white and half black.
"Why, you see," answered Susy, "it says, 'God scattereth the snow likewool, and his hoar-frost like the shining pearls.' And my Sabbath schoolteacher tells us that after a while the sun draws it back, and makesclouds of it, as 'twas before. So, you see, the snow and the rain keepsprinkling down, and then rising up to the sky again."
"Why--ee!" said Prudy; "how does the snow go up? I never saw it going."
"Indeed you have, Prudy. It goes puffing up in fog. Why, it's just as ifthe snow was a teakettle, and it keeps steaming out clouds."
"O, does it, Susy? Now, when it fogs, I shall know the snow's going up."
"Please don't talk any more," returned Susy, suddenly lowering hervoice; "we must be very quiet on the street, for it's Sunday. You don'tmean any harm, Prudy, but you say so much that I'm afraid I shall forgetmy lesson. I keep saying it over to myself, you know."
Susy and Prudy belonged in different classes. Susy recited from aquestion book, and Prudy learned verses from the Bible. Dotty Dimplewent with Prudy into Miss Carlisle's class, where eight or ten littlegirls were already seated.
"It's my little sister, Miss Carlisle," whispered blushing Prudy."Mother allowed her to come to-day because she isn't coming any more.Will you please excuse her?"
Smiling, Miss Carlisle was very willing to "excuse" Dotty for her sweetsister's sake. But Prudy felt rather nervous. She made a place besideherself for Dotty, who folded her small hands and sat as still as amarble cherub; but what odd thing she might take it into her busy brainto do, no one could tell.
When Prudy's turn came she repeated her verse: "Set a watch, O Lord,before my mouth: keep the door of my lips."
"An excellent text," said Miss Carlisle. "It would make me very happy ifI thought you would remember it all your life, darling. Do you think youunderstand it?"
"Mother says it means, 'Be careful to say only what is true and good,'"replied Prudy, in a low voice.
"That is right," said Miss Carlisle; "but do you understand what iscalled the 'figure of speech' in the verse? Do you know what a watchis?"
"A little thing that ticks."
"There is another kind, my dear. We have in cities _watchmen_, to guardus and see that all goes right while we sleep."
"O, I know," replied Prudy, quickly; "the verse asks God to give us a_conscience_ to walk back and forth before our lips while we talk!"
Miss Carlisle went on to say more about the watch, while Dotty fixed herbright eyes on her face, thinking, "What booful flowers those is in herbonnet! Where did she pick 'em?"
The next verse was Sadie Bicknell's:--
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Dotty listened to this, and Miss Carlisle's remarks upon it, with themost solemn earnestness, hoping to learn why it was that people shouldsit with a lamp shining on their feet. She thought she could now see whyPrudy loved to go to "Sabber school;" it was because she heard so manyfunny things.
Soon all the little girls had repeated their texts; but, to her greatsurprise, Dotty had not been called upon to say or do a single thing. Itwas a marked slight. She hardly knew whether to be angry or not. "Iguess the lady didn't see me," thought Dotty. So she cleared her throatwith a loud noise, which echoed across the room. Then Miss Carlislelooked at her and smiled. She was off the seat, standing on her tiptoes,Prudy tried to draw her back; but so much the more Dotty persisted. Sheshook off her sister's hand.
"I wasn't a 'peakin' to you," said she.
"Never mind her, Prudy," said Miss Carlisle, for the poor girl wascrimson with shame; "let your little sister come to me; perhaps shewishes to tell me something."
Miss Carlisle bent forward, and let Dotty place her rosy lips close toher face.
"Now, what do you wish, little one?"
"You didn't hear me say my _werse_," whispered Dotty, in a tone ofpique.
"Your verse? Did you learn one, child?"
"Yes, 'm, I did. I learned it all day yes'day."
"O, very well! then say it, by all means, dear."
Prudy's face expressed perfect despair. She tried to hush Dotty; but onemight as well coax the wind to stop blowing. The child's thoughts hadbeen like caged birds, and now out they must fly.
"Shall I _whisper_?" asked Dotty.
"No, say your verse aloud."
The child planted herself in front of the class, and recited, in a highkey, and with the greatest delight,--
"What you thpose um had for supper? B'ack-eyed beans, un bread un butter."
It was not possible to help smiling. Prudy in spite of her shame anddistress, shook with laughter; but it was a laughter just ready totremble into tears.
"I'll never ask mother to let her come again, if I once _do_ get hersafe home," thought outraged Prudy.
Dotty was not allowed to attend Sabbath school again that year; but itwas a long time before she forgot some of the things she had heard MissCarlisle say. Many of the strange words rang in her ears for weeks afterwards, though she said nothing about them.
One day she rushed into the nursery out of breath. Prudy was kn
eelingbefore her little trunk, putting in order the paper dolls, which Dottyhad scattered over the floor. They were a sad sight. Some of them hadlost their heads, and some had lost their fine clothes, which are worthas much as heads any day--to dolls.
But Dotty did not stop to look at the mischief she had made. Herthoughts were of other matters. She had brought from the kitchen a "TomThumb lamp" and a bunch of matches.
Without a word she seated herself on the floor, behind her sister, anddrew off her shoes and stockings. She looked for a moment at her littlepink toes, then rubbed the whole bunch of matches on the carpet, sayingto herself, "A lamp to my feet."
But, somehow, the lamp would not light itself. Dotty did not know how toturn back the chimney, and, though there was certainly blaze enough inthe matches, it did not catch the wick. It leaped forward and caught theskirt of Prudy's dress.
"You're burnin' afire! You're burnin' afire!" shouted Dotty, dancingaround her sister. Prudy now felt the heat, and screamed too, bringingher mother and Norah to the spot at once. The flames were soon smotheredin a rug, and so Prudy's life was mercifully saved.
It was sometime before any one understood what Dotty had been trying todo with a light.
"I was just only a-puttin' a lamp to my feet," sobbed she. "I learned itto Sabber school."
But the little one's rare tears were soon dried by a romp with Zip outof doors.
"It's queer how things always happen just right," said Prudy, stilltrembling from her fright. "You said, if I'd been wearing my calico,mother, I'd have been scorched. And you know it was only the littlestwhile ago I put on this blue delaine, to go to auntie's in!"