Little Prudy's Dotty Dimple

by Sophie May

  CHAPTER V.

  FANNY HARLOW'S PARTY.

  "Kiss me, little sister," said Prudy, "and let me go, for I must getready for the party."

  "I know where you're goin'," said Dotty; "why can't I go too?"

  Little did innocent Prudy dream of the queer thoughts which were chasingone another in her little sister's brain. After she and Susy had gone,and the house was quite still, Dotty stood at the window, looking downstreet. It was a lovely day; the clouds were "softer than sleep."

  "O, my suz!" said Dotty Dimple; "there they go, way off, way off, Susyand Prudy. Bof of 'em are all gone. Nobody at home but me. Didn't ask meto her party, Fanny Harlow didn't."

  Dotty heaved a deep sigh, took her black baby out of its cradle, andshook it with all her might.

  "What you lookin' to me for, Phib? I wasn't a 'peakin' to you. I'm goin'to cover you all up, Phib, so you won't hear me think."

  Then Dotty looked out of the window again. "What a good little girl Iam," thought she, "not to be a cryin'! Prudy'd cry! There goes theblacksmif's shop." Dotty meant the blacksmith. "His mother lets him goeverywhere. Everybody's mother lets 'em go everywhere."

  A prettily dressed little girl passed the window.

  "How do you do, little girl?" whispered Dotty, in a voice so low thateven the cat did not hear. "O, what a booful hat you've got! Would yourmamma make you wear a _rainy_ dress, like mine? No, she wouldn't. Yourmamma lets you go to parties all the days only Sundays. My mamma hassticked me into the nursery, and nothin' but a dar'needle to sew with!O, hum! And I haven't runned away since forever'n ever! They don't 'lowme to run away. Wish Fanny Harlow'd asked me to her party. I know whyshe never! 'Cause she forgot I was born."

  Presently there was a sound of little feet. Dotty was pattering upstairs.

  "Didn't know I was sewing with a dar'needle--did you, mamma? Mayn't I goto Fanny Harlow's party?"

  Mrs. Parlin was busy with visitors, and did not pay much heed to herlittle daughter. So Dotty crept close to her mother's side, and buriedher roguish face behind her head-dress.

  "Wish you'd please to punish me, mamma," said she; "punish me now; I'm_a-goin_' to be naughty?"

  Mrs. Parlin smiled, and reminded Dotty that it was not polite to whisperin company. Then she went on talking with her friends, and Miss Dimpleslipped quietly out of the room.

  "I know I don't ought to," mused the child; "I'm a-goin' to do wicked,and get punished; but I _want_ to do wicked, and get punished. I've beengoody till I'm all tired up!"

  Having made this decision, she went to Prudy's closet, and looked at thedresses hanging wrong side outward on the pegs.

  "This is a booful one," said she, pulling down a scarlet merino. She puton the dress, forgetting, in her guilty haste, to take off her own blueone.

  "O, my suz! I never did see!" said Dotty, puffing and tugging in herefforts to fasten the frock. "My mother must make Prudy's clo'esbigger'n this; yes, she must. It chokes."

  However, by dint of much hard work she succeeded in squeezing her roundlittle figure into the red merino, and fastening two of the buttons. "O,hum!" sighed she; "this dress is so tight I shan't grow to-day!"

  Dotty had a great admiration for her mother's purple breakfast shawl,which she now threw over her little shoulders with tremulous delight.Nono's Sunday bonnet she next laid her naughty hands upon. Very charmingwas this bonnet in Dotty's eyes, as it was made of claret-colored silk,and was all on fire inside with scorching red and yellow flames. It wasso huge and so deep that Dotty's small face under it looked as if it hadgot lost in Mammoth Cave.

  "Now I've got every single clo'es on me. Guess there won't anybodythink I'm a boy this time," mused she, giving a last glance at themirror; "there won't anybody laugh, and say, 'How d'ye do, my finelittle fellow?'"

  Very well pleased with herself, Dotty dressed "brother Zip" in Prudy'swater-proof cloak, and they both stole out by the side door, withoutbeing seen. But which way to go Dotty could not tell.

  "Where _is_ the-girl-that-has-the-party's house?" thought she, under herbonnet. "Well, it's by the stone lions, 'most up to the North Pole. Now,Zippy, if we keep a-goin' we shall get there, and we'll see some girlsout by the door."

  Zip wagged his faithful tail, which was quite hidden under the cloak,and they both trudged on, Dotty's heart quivering with wicked delight.

  She happened to go in the right direction, and at last did really reachthe "house by the stone lions." Several young girls were indeed playingin the yard.

  "What little image is that, traveling this way?" cried Florence Eastman,holding up both hands.

  "A beggar child, perhaps," replied Fanny Harlow. "'Sh! 'sh! don'tlaugh!"

  "I don't see anything but a walking bonnet," tittered one of the girls;"don't it look like a chaise top? O, look, look! as true as you live,that thing that's hopping along beside her is a dog!"

  The little figure now approached very slowly, its head bent down, itsfingers in its mouth; though the girls saw nothing but a big, droopingbonnet, a purple shawl, and a pair of tiny feet peeping out from a reddress.

  "I guess she came from Farther India," suggested Susy, that being themost foreign land she could think of.

  Dotty now gave a loud knock at the gate, and peeped in between the bars.In doing so she had to push back the chaise-top, and the little girlshad a full view of her face.

  "O, Dotty Dimple Parlin!" screamed her sisters, in dismay.

  Fanny Harlow hastened to open the gate.

  "Where did you come from, you naughty thing?" whispered Susy, with acrimson face.

  Dotty's sole answer was a violent sneeze, which burst off two buttons,the only ones which fastened the scarlet merino.

  "I've broke my dress," said Dotty, calmly.

  The little girls were greatly amused, but Dotty eyed them with such agaze of lofty disdain that they kept their faces as straight aspossible.

  "Poor thing," said cousin Florence; "how tired you must be! Don't youwant to sit right down in this iron chair?"

  Dotty's bright eyes flashed. "Don't you pity _me_, Flossy! Now 'top it!"

  "How shall we ever get her home?" thought the two older sisters, inalarm; for they saw by the motion of Dotty's elbows, that she had madeup her mind to queen it over the whole company.

  "Look here, Dotty," said Prudy, going up to her, and kissing her; "didmother say you might come, darling?"

  Dotty rubbed off the kiss, and made no answer.

  "Don't you think 'twould be a nice plan," whispered Prudy, "for me andSusy to draw you home in a little carriage? And I'll ask mother toforgive you."

  "O, yes," said Susy, in an agony of mortification; "now do!"

  Dotty looked as unmoved as one of the stone lions, and took no notice ofthe request.

  "What made they put two trees 'side that one tree?" asked she, by way ofchanging the subject.

  "Now, Dotty, you will go, that's a little love," said Susy, wringing herhands. "Only think, if you don't you'll lose five kisses to-night, and Idare say mamma will punish you, too."

  "There's a man goin' by--old all over, and a white whisker. Who is it?"inquired Dotty, changing the subject again. "The whisker looks likesnow, 's if his chin's cold!"

  "Never mind the man," returned Prudy. "If you'll go I'll spend my fivecents, and buy you some pep'mints."

  "I'd rather have pickled limes," said Dotty thoughtfully.

  "So you shall," cried eager Susy; "and you'll be the sweetest littlepet, and ride home like a lady."

  "So I will," said Dotty, serenely, "when I've had my supper."

  Susy's face fell. If the little piece of obstinacy would stay, she_would_; and Mrs. Harlow politely declared they should all be delighted.But how would she behave at the table? Her manners were as yet unformed;she needed line upon line and precept upon precept. It was dreadful tothink of her taking supper at one of the nicest houses in the city, inthat dress, and without her watchful mother too! It was a severe trialto Susy. Prudy was also distressed, but her "sky-like spirit" brigh
tenedagain speedily.

  The little girls all crowded about Dotty, begging her to join in theirgames; but she said it would "hurt her big bonnet," which she could notbe persuaded to take off, because she fancied it added something to herimportance.

  Fanny Harlow brought out a picture book for the little runaway.

  "I'm afraid she'll tear it," said careful Prudy.

  Dotty looked at her sister with a withering glance, and, in hereagerness to prove that she knew how to handle books, suddenly tore oneof the leaves. She was surprised and mortified; but her self-esteem wasnot easily crushed.

  "There, Prudy," said she, pertly; "what made you let me do it for? You_said_ I'd tear it!"

  Mrs. Harlow hastened supper, fearing that Mrs. Parlin might be anxiousabout her little daughter. Dotty was placed between her two sisters.Susy pinned a napkin about the child's neck, and in a whisper begged tobe allowed to spread her bread and butter for her. Dotty had worn theair of a princess royal all the afternoon; but now, seated in a highchair, and surrounded by a group of admiring little girls, she feltlike a crowned queen. Taking her bread in both hands, she crumbed itinto her goblet of milk, and began to dip it out with the handle of herfork. The girls looked on and smiled, and Dotty gave a little purr ofsatisfaction.

  "Everybody'll think mother doesn't teach her good manners," thought poorSusy, hardly knowing whether she ate bread or ashes.

  "Dear, dear," said Prudy to herself; "Dotty may die some time, and thenI should be sorry, and cry. I'll keep thinking of that, so I can bearher awful actions better."

  The little princess, from her throne in the high chair, did very rudethings; such as coughing and blowing crumbs into her plate, drummingwith her feet, and beating time with her fork and spoon. When bread wasoffered, she said,--

  "I don't like _baker's_ bread. I like _daily_ bread."

  But this was all the remark she made during the whole meal. At last sheceased eating, coughing, and drumming: there was a "flash of silence."

  Everybody looked up. Dotty's eyes were closed, and her head was swayingfrom side to side, like a heavy apple stuck on a knitting needle--shewas fast asleep.

  She was wheeled home in a small carriage, followed by a guard of all thegirls. Next day she was duly punished by being tied to the bedpost withthe clothes-line.

  "I wish her _reasons_ would begin to grow," sighed Prudy. "I never canfeel happy when Dotty gets into a fuss."

  "I've been thinking it all over," replied Susy, "and I've made up mymind that God allows her to mortify you and me. You know we must havesome kind of a trial, or we shouldn't grow gentle and sweet tempered."

  "As mother is," added Prudy.