gle hair was
fastened by a root in her dear little head, and fell in soft, natural
curls over her dimpled cheeks.

That very afternoon, her mother went out shopping; and looking in at a
toy shop window, she saw a splendid wax doll nearly three feet long. It
was dressed up in all manner of furbelows, but the dress did not look
half so fresh and lovely as the doll. The arms and hands were all wax,
round, pinky-white, and beautifully shaped, with two cunning dimples in
the elbows, and four little dimples in the back of each hand. She had
dark curling hair, large blue eyes, and very small feet.

"Well," said the loving mother to herself, "I really _must_ try to get
this splendid doll for my darling Lillie." Her own gentle blue eyes
quite sparkled at the thought of the happiness such a present would
bring with it. So she walked quickly in, and asked the price.

Oh dear! It was twenty dollars!

This was more than the mother thought right to give for the doll; and
she told the man so, very politely. He was a very wise man, and what is
more and better, kept a toy shop, because he loved children dearly; so
he put his head on one side, and thought; then he looked out of the
corner of his eye at the lady, and saw what a pleasant, sweet expression
was on her face; then he thought again--this time, how disappointed the
sweet little girl at home would be, if she knew her mother was out
looking for a doll for her, and came home without one; and then he said,
"What do you think the doll is worth?"

Lillie's mother told him what she considered a fair price, and the
darling, good toyman spoke up as quick as a flash, "You shall have it,
ma'am! Here, John, put this doll in paper, and take it to 'No. 13
Clinton Place.'"

[ILLUSTRATION: Helen's Return Home.]

Lillie's sister Helen was going to spend the summer with her dear
grandmamma in Middletown. A splendid idea came into the kind mother's
head. Taking Helen into a room alone, she said, "My dear, you will want
some sewing to do, while you are away; suppose you take the beautiful
doll and make up several suits of clothes for her, just as neatly as
possible. I am sure your grandmamma will help you; and when you return,
we will have a delightful surprise for Lillie." The darling, good
sister, was just as pleased as possible with this plan: indeed, she had
not got past liking to play with dolls herself; and she was very
different from some elder sisters, who take an unamiable pleasure