Sophie May

“ He says your head is as full of airy notions as a dandelion top. I love Queen Mab as if she was my own sister," continued Flossy, in a pettish tone. "You know I do, Susy. I always thought, if anything should happen to Queen Mab, and I lost her, I should certainly dress in mourning; now you needn't laugh."
"O, I can't help laughing, when anybody makes such a fuss over a doll," replied Susy, with a curl of the lip. "Anything that isn't alive, and hasn't any sense, and don't care for you! I like canary birds, and babies, and ponies, and that's enough to like." ”

“ Let's go; we'll frighten the old birdie out of her wits."
"I wish you could see them, Susy; then you'd know how cunning they are; and now you never'll know. But it doesn't seem a bit like orphan children since their mother's got home."
"Makes me think of our mamma, and her three little children," said Susy, taking her sister's hand.
"Yes," said Prudy, her face radiant with a glow of love, warm from her heart; "how good our mother always is, and always was, before ever our reasons grew! Think what we'd do this night, Susy Parlin, if there wasn't any mother to our house!" ”

“ Just as her patience was wearing to a thread the hack arrived, looking as black and glossy as if some one had been all this time polishing it for the occasion. Dotty disdained the help of the driver, and stepped into the carriage as eagerly as Jack climbed the bean-stalk. She flirted her clean dress against the wheel, but did not observe it. She was as happy as Jack when he reached the giant's house; happier too, for she had mounted to a castle in the air; and everybody knows a castle in the air is gayer than all the gold houses that ever grew on the top of a stalk. ”

“ Then the nixies stormed in fierce wrath, their willowy figures swaying to and fro as if blown by the wind.
“They shall not harm you, little one. Come with me, be my own daughter, and I will carry you home.”
“Home!” echoed the lovely child; “my home is in the Summer-land. Oh, will you indeed carry me there?”
Then she folded her white wings, and nestled in the lady’s bosom like a gentle dove, and was borne to a beautiful castle that overlooked the sea. The water-nixies soon forgot her, for they could not hold her memory in their little humming-bird hearts. ”

“ What did auntie mean? She meant me. Everybody means me. I wouldn't have thought that of auntie."
Dotty turned away; but the words followed her across the room like the eyes of a portrait.
"'God resisteth the proud.' Well, who said I was proud? People are so queer! Always think it's me wants the best things. 'Giveth grace to the humble.' There, I s'pose that means Prudy. She's just as humble! Never wants to take the best parts when we play. O, no; Prudy's humble? Prudy's a hero-ess!'"
But scold as she might, those burning red words were looking right down into Dotty's soul. ”

“ FLAXIE'S WILL.
"A doll's piano! Why, if there is anything in this world that I've always wanted, it's just this little piano! And oh, to think of Mr. Garland's giving it to me, when he couldn't have known I wanted it! Did you tell him, Preston? And oh, see the keys! Hear me! There, that's the Grasshopper's Dance! Tinkle! tinkle! tinkle! Oh, so sweet! I couldn't play it any better on my big piano, or half so well.
"Hush, Preston Gray, you needn't laugh! What if I am nine years old? Can't I like a little, cunning, beautiful doll's piano? ”

“ When she was sure her sister Maria had gone up stairs, she ran out to the kitchen, whispering,—
"O, mother! O, Louise!" but broke down by laughing.
"What does ail the child?" said Mrs. Parlin, laughing too.
Margaret tried again to speak, but this time burst into tears.
"There, it's of no use," she sobbed: "I'm so happy that it's really dreadful. I'm afraid somebody may die of joy."
"I'm more afraid somebody'll die of curiosity," said aunt Louise: "do speak quick."
"Well, Henry Clifford is alive," said Margaret: "that's the blessed truth! Now hush! We must be so careful how we tell Maria!" ”

“ I've been thinking lately about— I mean, I've been wishing, for ages and ages, that I'd been born a boy; but it's silly, and so I never say it."
"Why, Gracie Clifford, I've heard you say it five hundred times! I'd as soon be a girl, because I am, and there's the end of it."
"But to grow up and be a woman!" said Grace, with a shudder. "Do you ever think of the wrinkles, and the cross kitchen girls, and the children that have to cut their teeth? And you can't sleep nights; and then they won't let you vote!" ”

“ Wee Lucy screamed, the dog barked, and Jimmy cried out, “What is it? What is it?” not knowing what to make of this strange behavior.
“Oh, I’ve esposed Lucy! I’ve esposed Lucy!” cried wretched Edith, the tears raining down her cheeks.
Lucy struggled out of her arms, laughing. She did not know what “esposed” meant; neither did Jimmy; and it may be that Edith did not clearly know herself.
“O Lucy darling, don’t laugh; it’s dreadful; it’s awful! What does make you act so, Jimmy? We must run, run, run! Lucy’s going to have whooping-cough, sure as you live.” ”

“ Never again shall I behold anything so beautiful. Queen Victoria's crown and Empress Eugenie's diamonds wouldn't compare with it for a moment. They say we feel most keenly those joys we never quite grasp; and I know that parasol, swinging round in Fel's little hand, was more bewitching to me than if I had held it myself. O, why wasn't it mine? I thought of Fel's coral necklace, and blue silk bonnet, and the white dress with needlework flowers, and now if she was going to have a parasol too, I might as well die and done with it.
"O, Marjie, Marjie!" ”