nts by heart, as
well as its owner. But they never hoped, poor little souls! except in
dreams, for all these beautiful toys. Dirty little Polly, who stood
pointing with her smutty finger, and elbowing her sister to look at the
grand doll dressed in muslin and ribbon, only gazed at it in a sort of
ecstatic rapture, and had no more idea, indeed far less, of having it
for her very own, than little Lady Edith had of owning the Crystal
Palace. Pence, scanty, hard-earned pence, were too much wanted for bread
and food, to be easily got to lay out even in two half-penny dolls in a
year! But when a happy piece of good fortune did come about, and these
poor little creatures really had a whole penny they could call _their
own_, oh, how difficult it was to spend it! How much they wanted for it!
and what a business it was to decide what it should be laid out in! And
the one-jointed doll or penny cart was like a pot of gold to its happy
little owner for months afterwards!

"Rose had other friends as well, however, as these poor little ragged
customers, for her pleasant face and gentle voice made her popular with
all, and she had a tasteful way of arranging the one window of the
toy-shop that made it quite attractive to older eyes than the children.
One day in late autumn, a lady, with a nurse and a little girl, paused
before it for a moment, and after a brief inspection they came into the
shop.

"'I think a box of tea-things will be almost the best thing for her,
Lee,' said the lady to her nurse.

"'I sould ike a bots of tea-sings wey mush!' said the little thing, as
the servant sat down, and placed her on her lap.

"'So you shall have some, my pet, and then you will be able to make tea
for all the dollies,' replied the nurse.

"'Have you any boxes of wooden tea-things?' asked the lady.

"Rose placed before them a tolerably large assortment; some made of
china, very brightly ornamented with pink and blue flowers; some made of
glass, white with tiny gold sprays and stars, but these were voted
dangerous for baby, because they would break easily, and might cut her
little fat hands. Then the wooden sets were examined, but they were
painted freely, and mamma and nurse thought they might go to the rosy
mouth more closely and often than would be quite wholesome, and baby
would not look at the plain, white Swiss carved tea-sets, pretty as they
were.

"'Fower ike those, wey pitty,' cried she, eagerly, as Rose brought out
our box of l