“Ah,” said Mrs. Parlin, with a meaning smile; “the trouble is, Susy, you’ve made up your mind that your memory is good for nothing:  you expect to forget!  I shall trust you again, and you must fully resolve to do better.”

Dotty was very proud of her “baa, baa,” and insisted upon putting it in her bathing tub every morning, and scrubbing it with her own hands.

Everybody laughed at Prudy’s wild story of the soap-boiler.

“We were tired, my feet and I,” said she, between laughing and crying; “but I never’d have rode with that whispering man if I’d known he was a bone man!”

CHAPTER III.

DOTTY’S VERSES.

By the time Alice Parlin was three years old she could prattle like a bobolink, and thought herself quite as old and wise as either of her sisters.  Every Sunday morning it made her very wretched to see Susy and Prudy 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’ve got 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 added with a bright smile, “’Cause I’s your comfort, you know, Prudy, your darlin’, precious little comfort; isn’t I, Prudy?”

“Dear me,” thought tender Prudy, “the poor little thing always has to stay at home.  I’ll ask mother to let her go with me next time.  It is right for me to ask, for I’m sure I don’t want her to go; so it isn’t selfish!”

Mrs. Parlin had a great many doubts as to Dotty’s good behavior, but at last consented.  She felt pretty safe to trust her with Prudy, who was very patient, and had even now a memory longer than Susy’s.

Before the time came to start for Sabbath school, Dotty stood a long while before the mirror, looking up at her gay hat and down at her cunning gaiters.  She liked nice clothes, and it pleased her to see herself so prettily dressed.

“Is that you, O you darlin’ Dotty?” said she, nodding her vain little head, 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 so little.”

“I never should have thought of bringing her,” exclaimed Susy.  “Any one would think she’d been eating snails.  When she takes up her foot she shakes it before she puts it down.”