Dotty Dimple

“ Ah, grandma Parlin, you little knew what you were undertaking when you called Dotty Dimple into the back parlor [165] next morning, and began to talk about that money! Children's minds are strange things. They are like bottles with very small necks; and when you pour in an idea, you must pour very slowly, a drop at a time, or it all runs over. Dotty did not know much more about money than Flyaway.
"My child," said her grandmother, "it seems you have lost something which belonged to Prudy." ”

“ Very few were the people who seemed to remember that her name was Alice.
She had a pair of busy dimples, which were a constant delight to her sisters.
"They twinkle, twinkle like little stars, only they don't shine," cried Prudy.
"Why," said Susy, "it's just as if her cheeks were made of water, and we were skipping pebbles in 'em."
And because of these tiny whirl pools, the child was usually called Dotty Dimple. From the time she could stand on her own little feet, she was a queen of a baby, and carried her small head very high. ”

“ Well, Miss Dotty, there is some truth in the picture. Jennie is not a good child; but neither are you an angel. There is more wickedness in your proud little heart than you will ever begin to find out. And wait a minute. Who teaches you all you know of right and wrong? Is it your mother? Suppose she had died, as did Jennie's mamma, when you were a toddling baby?
There, that's all; you do not hear a word [105] I say; and if you did, you would not heed, O, self-righteous Dotty Dimple!
Dotty ran up stairs to find her grandmother.
"Grandma," whispered she, though there was no one else in the room ”

“ I presume Nancy doesn’t hear her say her prayers half the time. She seems inclined to tell wrong stories lately; who knows but I could break up the habit, if, as Dotty Dimple says, I put her to bed myself?”
[123]
Mr. Parlin overtook Ben Penny, and helped him home. By that time he longed for shelter: but how could he rest until he had seen for himself that Dotty was safe? The Rosenberg boy had no doubt intended to tell the truth, but there might be some mistake; so the anxious father went all the way to Mr. Harris’s, and, when he arrived there, found the children fast asleep. ”

“ Mayn't somebody go with me?"
"Ask me will I go?" said Katie, "for I love to shake my head!"
"And, grandma," added Dotty, "Mrs. Gray's eyes are so sharp, why, they're so sharp they almost prick! And it's no use for Katie to go with me, she's so little." [28]
"O, I'm isn't much little," cried Katie. "I's growing big."
"I should think Prudy might go," said Dotty Dimple, with her finger in her mouth; "you don't make Prudy do a single thing!"
"Prudy goes for the ice every morning," replied Mrs. Parlin. "I wish you to do as I ask you, Alice, and make no more remarks about Mrs. Gray." ”

“ 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."
"O, what a 'tory!" said Dotty Dimple, tossing her head. "I never shaked my foot; did I, Prudy?" ”

“ She did not know what a wedding might be, but was sure it had pies in it.
"There goes a right smart little girl," said Horace, with a sweep of his thumb towards the Cleveland cars. "If it wasn't for Prudy, I should like her better than any other cousin I have in the world."
"She is an engaging child," replied his mother, "and really seems to be outgrowing her naughty ways."
Thus, you see, Dotty Dimple, in coming away from Indiana, had left in the minds of her friends only "golden opinions." Perhaps she was rather overrated. Everything had gone well with her during her visit ”

“ Here some one came along and offered Miss Dimple a slice of wedding cake, which tasted just as delicious as if she could see it; then some one else put a glass of lemonade to her lips.
"Has my little girl a kiss for me?" said Mrs. Parlin, coming to the sofa as soon as she could break away from her guests.
The gentle "mother-touch" went to Dotty's heart. She threw her arms about
Mrs. Parlin's neck, wrinkling her collar and tumbling her veil. ”

“ Dotty Dimple and Jennie were talking very earnestly. [38]
"I do wish I did know where Charlie Gray is!" said Dotty, looking through the open window at a bird flying far aloft into the blue sky.
"You do know," answered Jennie, quickly; "he's in heaven."
"Yes, of course; but so high up—O, so high up," sighed Dotty, "it makes you dizzy to think."
"Can um see we?" struck in little Flyaway, holding to Dinah's flat nose a bottle of reviving soap suds.
"Prudy says it's beautiful to be dead," added Dotty, without heeding the question; "beautiful to be dead."
"Shtop!" cried Flyaway; "I's a-talkin'. ”

“ Bradley, smiling as he gave each of the little Parlins some money, and bowed them out of the store.
"I'll put it in my porte-monnaie, sir; my sister Prudy didn't bring hers."
"What makes you talk so much, Dotty [140] Dimple?" said Prudy, "that man has been making sport of us all the time."
"Did he?" said Dotty, solemnly. "I'm 'stonished at grandma Parlin letting us sell rags! Wish this wheelbarrow was in the Stiftic Ocean." ”

“ Lina yielded. The three children tripped along together, taking up Freddy Jackson on the way—a deaf and dumb boy, who only knew when it thundered by the jar he could feel. Everybody was kind to Freddy. Dotty Dimple, with all her faults, was never known to be impatient with the poor boy.
The children reached the sea-shore, which was somewhere "near the water," though Dotty had assured Prudy to the contrary. Shell-gathering is more exciting work than picking strawberries in the country; for strawberries are all very much alike, whereas shells present some variety. ”

“ Dotty understood from this remark why Lina had asked her to go home with her. It was not because she wished to hear any of Dotty's brilliant stories, for she had not asked a single question about Out West; it was because she hoped for a reprieve from the dreaded knitting.
"She's a real naughty little girl," thought Miss Dimple; "and if she hadn't hided my hat, I'd go right home."
There was a heavy tread on the stairs. Mrs. Rosenberg was coming up, partly to see if her daughter was knitting, and partly to hang a paper bag on the long pole overhead. ”

“ We can't be happy out of the line of our duty," sighed Miss Polly, who regarded herself as a pattern of cheerfulness.
"I'll tell you what I'm going to do," said Dotty, resolutely; "I'm going right off to pay that money to Prudy, and then I'll be in the line of my duty."
[189]
CHAPTER XII. FULL NIPPERKIN.
Prudy scorned to take the ten cents. "Did you think your 'middle-aged' sister would do such a thing, when she has more money than you have, Dotty Dimple? If you're only sorry, that's all I ask. I didn't like to have you laugh, as if you didn't care." ”

“ Parlin, grandma Read, and the children. As for Norah, Dotty was right with regard to her; she had walked out to the Cape to see the auburn-haired Bridget.
"I'm glad Johnny was born to-day instead of to-morrow," said Prudy, "for to-morrow we wouldn't go out of the house for anything, auntie."
"I can seem to see cousin Dimple," said Percy; "she'll carry her head higher than ever."
Prudy cast upon the youth as strong a look of disapproval as her gentle face could express.
"Percy, you mustn't talk so about Dotty. She is my sister. She isn't so very proud ”

“ Dotty was as good as her word. She could not always keep her little tongue still; but on the whole, she tried so hard to do right, that Miss Parker loved her better and better every day.
The two little seat-mates were becoming “bosom friends.” Tate regarded Dotty as a superior being, and Miss Dimple was quite willing to be looked up to and copied. Much of their time out of school was spent in printing letters to each other, of which this is a specimen:—
Deer Tait:
Jhonnie cald Me todelkins. ”

“ They went out through the kitchen, to get Dotty's red and white picnic basket; but they crept like a pair of thieves, lest Ruthie, who was mixing waffles, should hear them, and take notice of Dotty's bare ankles.
Once out of the village, it did not take long for Miss Dimple to slip off her boots and tuck them in her pocket.
"O, how nice and cool!" murmured she, poking her little pink toes into the burning sand; till presently, a thorn, which ap [74] peared to be waiting for that very purpose, thrust its way deep into her foot. She sat down in the middle of the road and screamed. ”

“ She had observed that Jennie seemed unhappy, and was very anxious to see Dotty again. She hoped she had gone to return the money of her own free will.
When Mrs. Parlin opened the nursery door at home, she found Jennie building block houses, to Flyaway's great delight, while at the other end of the room sat Dotty Dimple, resolutely sewing patchwork.
"O, grandma," spoke up Flyaway, "Jennie came to see me; she didn't come to see Dotty, 'cause Dotty don't want to talk. [112] There, now, Jennie, make a rat to put in the cupboard. R goes first to rat." ”

“ Her mother won't be likely to let her stay more than one day. I'll have on the best table-cloth for breakfast; and along in the forenoon I'll fetch out some macaroni cakes and lager beer; that'll coax her up, I guess."
Just then Mrs. Rosenberg down stairs and Dotty Dimple up stairs both fell asleep. One dreamed of running away and being chased by a dog with a hat on his head, who barked "Good-night" as fiercely as a bite. The other dreamed of money and brown sugar. And all the while the rats were treating themselves to nibbles of wood; but nobody heard them. Be careful, old rats! ”

“ In the Boat.—Page 93.
"Why don't you keep a pullin', boys?" said Johnny, dipping in his useless little paddle.
The boat whirled about like an egg-shell, completely at the mercy of the waves. If your papa and mamma had seen it, they would have said there was the last of Dotty Dimple. But, on second thought, you may be sure it was not the last of her; for if she was going to be drowned in the sixth chapter, I should never have written this book.
It was a wonderful mercy that the five rash children were spared; but life is full of just such mercies ”

“ The world, which had looked, an hour ago, so gay and light-hearted, was now rather gloomy. The waves, instead of sparkling, only foamed and bubbled; indeed they grew larger every moment, for the wind was blowing a gale. The white sea-gulls hovered over the bay, flapping their wings; and Dotty had never liked sea-gulls. She began to grow a very little uneasy.
"It was naughty for us to come," thought she, anxious to divide the sin with her companions; "we ought to have minded our mothers." ”

“ So Dotty was put into a water-proof cloak, and went with her two sisters; no more afraid of the storm than a snow-bird wrapped in his feathers.
“You here? O, ho!” said Tate, putting her arm around Dotty; “they like to not let me come; but I told ’em you and I had some business.”
“That’s what I told my mother,” said Dotty; “now let’s go right up to Miss Parker, and ask her.” ”

“ Gray didn't mean to break his word."
"Well, if he didn't break it, he bent it," replied Prudy, positively.
CHAPTER XII. A WEDDING.
"I shan't buy any more brothers as long as I live—now you see if I do," said Dotty Dimple, with quivering lips.
"Come here, little one, and sit on my knee," said Colonel Augustus Allen. "Can't you think of something next as good as a baby brother? How would you fancy a grown-up uncle!"
Dotty looked wonderingly into Colonel Allen's face.
"Who's got any to sell?" said she. ”

“ How often had she heard Prudy say, “It’s a quarter of,” and seen her skip out of the house, kissing her hand for good by! As the door closed after her, Dotty had always felt as if it shut herself out of something beautiful—something every way desirable.
And now it was coming,—the day and the hour. She was about to be a school-girl at last. No longer a little child, who stays at home and plays with paper dolls, [12] but a little woman, who goes out to learn the ways of the world. ”

“ When I think anything isn't there, the next I know I come against it, and make my nose bleed."
She was not aware that while the most of these children were blind, there were others who had a little glimmering of eyesight. The world was night to some of them; to others, twilight.
They did not know Dotty and Katie were following them, and they chatted away as if they were quite by themselves.
"Emily, have you seen my Lilly Viola?" said one little girl to another. "Miss Percival has dressed her all over new with a red dressing-gown and a black hat." ”

“ But Dotty went on:—
"It makes you feel as if you'd never be naughty again. Now, if my mamma was always thumping me with a thimble, and scolding me so as to shake the house, I shouldn't care; but when she is just like an angel, and forgives me, I do care."
"I'm so glad, Dotty! I think, honestly, mother's the best woman that ever lived."
"Then why didn't she marry the best man?" asked Dotty, quickly.
"Who is that?"
"Why, Abraham Lincoln, of course." Prudy laughed.
"Yes; I suppose Mr. Lincoln was the best man that ever lived; but papa comes next."
"Yes," said Dotty; "I think he does. ”

“ No man ever looked like that. No man ever had such a mouth. It was as deep as a cave, and all ablaze. Somebody had gone and swallowed a stove; somebody had come to do—do—O, what had he come to do? [164]
"It's a yellow ghost!" thought Dotty. "I didn't know they had such a kind. Angeline never said so. But its eyes are just like her ghosts' eyes—going to burn you up!"
These thoughts darted through Dotty's mind like lightning-flashes. At the same time she gave one loud, terrified scream, and fell forward upon the floor. She did not rise, she did not speak, she seemed scarcely to breathe. ”