e snuff if they followed the natural bent of
their noses.

"Yes, Katie, as I was saying, you little know how your mother loves
you."

"Yes um, I do. She loves me more 'n the river, and the sky, and the
bridge. My papa loves me too, only but he don't _say_ nuffin' 'bout
it."

"Yes, yes; just so," said Miss Polly, who talked to the simplest
infants just as she did to grown people. "One of these days you will
look back, and see how happy you are now, and be sorry you didn't
prize your parents while you had them."

Flyaway rested her rosy cheek on Polly's knee, and watched the gray
knitting-work as it came out of the basket. She did not understand the
sad woman's words, but was attracted by her loving nature, and liked
to sit near her, a minute at a time, and have her hair stroked.

"There, now," said Dotty, "you are knitting, Miss Polly; and it's so
lonesome all round the house, with mother not coming till to-morrow,
that I should think you might tell--well, tell an anecdote."

"I don't know where to begin, or what to say," replied Polly, falling
into deep thought.

"I just believe she does sigh at the end of every needle," mused
Dotty; "I'm going to keep 'count. That's once."

"Please, Miss Polly, tell a _nanny-goat_," said Flyaway, dancing
around the room. "Please, Miss Polly, and I'll kiss you a pretty
little kiss."

"Twice," whispered Dotty.

"Well, I'll tell you something that will pass for an anecdote, on
condition that you call me _aunt_ Polly; that name warms my heart a
great deal better than _Miss_ Polly."

"Three!" said Dotty aloud. "We will, honestly, if we can think of it,
aunt Polly.--Four."

"Le'me gwout for the sidders, first," said busy Flyaway.

"There, aunt Polly, you forgot it that time! You sprang up quick to
shut the door, and forgot it."

"Forgot what?"

"You didn't sigh at the end of your needle."

"Why, Dotty, how you do talk! Any one would suppose, by that, I was in
the habit of sighing! I have a stitch in my side, child, and it makes
me draw a long breath now and then; that's all."

Flyaway was back again,

"With step-step light, and tip-tap slight
Against the door."

"Come in," said Dotty, "and see if you can keep still two whole
minutes; but I know you can't."

Miss Polly let her work fall in her lap, and drew up the left sleeve
of her black alpaca dress. "Do you see that scar, children?"

It was just below the elbow,--an irregular, purple mark, about