ed her cousins,
and held out her hand to the other boys, who shook it gently with
various soft speeches, for they were taught not to be ashamed of showing
their emotions.

"Come again soon, little dear," whispered Dan, fastening his best
green-and-gold beetle in her hat.

"Don't forget me, Princess, whatever you do," said the engaging Tommy,
taking a last stroke of the pretty hair.

"I am coming to your house next week, and then I shall see you, Bess,"
added Nat, as if he found consolation in the thought.

"Do shake hands now," cried Jack, offering a smooth paw.

"Here are two nice new ones to remember us by," said Dick and Dolly,
presenting fresh whistles, quite unconscious that seven old ones had
been privately deposited in the kitchen-stove.

"My little precious! I shall work you a book-mark right away, and you
must keep it always," said Nan, with a warm embrace.

But of all the farewells, poor Billy's was the most pathetic, for the
thought that she was really going became so unbearable that he cast
himself down before her, hugging her little blue boots and blubbering
despairingly, "Don't go away! oh, don't!" Goldilocks was so touched by
this burst of feeling, that she leaned over and lifting the poor lad's
head, said, in her soft, little voice,

"Don't cry, poor Billy! I will tiss you and tum adain soon."

This promise consoled Billy, and he fell back beaming with pride at the
unusual honor conferred upon him.

"Me too! me too!" clamored Dick and Dolly, feeling that their devotion
deserved some return. The others looked as if they would like to join
in the cry; and something in the kind, merry faces about her moved the
Princess to stretch out her arms and say, with reckless condescension,

"I will tiss evvybody!"

Like a swarm of bees about a very sweet flower, the affectionate lads
surrounded their pretty playmate, and kissed her till she looked like a
little rose, not roughly, but so enthusiastically that nothing but the
crown of her hat was visible for a moment. Then her father rescued her,
and she drove away still smiling and waving her hands, while the boys
sat on the fence screaming like a flock of guinea-fowls, "Come back!
come back!" till she was out of sight.

They all missed her, and each dimly felt that he was better for having
known a creature so lovely, delicate, and sweet; for little Bess
appealed to the chivalrous instinct in them as something to love,
admire, and protect with a tender