vidently awaiting a summons to the festive board, but such
was the perfect breeding of these dolls that not a single eye out of
the whole twenty-seven (Dutch Hans had lost one of the black beads from
his worsted countenance) turned for a moment toward the table, or so
much as winked, as they lay in decorous rows, gazing with mute
admiration at Belinda. She, unable to repress the joy and pride which
swelled her sawdust bosom till the seams gaped, gave an occasional
bounce as the wind waved her yellow skirts or made the blue boots dance
a sort of jig upon the door. Hanging was evidently not a painful
operation, for she smiled contentedly, and looked as if the red ribbon
around her neck was not uncomfortably tight; therefore, if slow
suffocation suited _her_, who else had any right to complain? So a
pleasing silence reigned, not even broken by a snore from Dinah, the
top of whose turban alone was visible above the coverlet, or a cry from
baby Jane, though her bare feet stuck out in a way that would have
produced shrieks from a less well-trained infant.

Presently voices were heard approaching, and through the arch which led
to a side path came two little girls, one carrying a small pitcher, the
other proudly bearing a basket covered with a napkin. They looked like
twins, but were not--for Bab was a year older than Betty, though only
an inch taller. Both had on brown calico frocks, much the worse for a
week's wear, but clean pink pinafores, in honor of the occasion, made
up for that, as well as the gray stockings and thick boots. Both had
round rosy faces rather sunburnt, pug noses somewhat freckled, merry
blue eyes, and braided tails of hair hanging down their backs like
those of the dear little Kenwigses.

"Don't they look sweet?" cried Bab, gazing with maternal pride upon the
left-hand row of dolls, who might appropriately have sung in chorus,
"We are seven."

"Very nice; but my Belinda beats them all. I do think she is the
splendidest child that ever was!" And Betty set down the basket to run
and embrace the suspended darling, just then kicking up her heels with
joyful abandon.

"The cake can be cooling while we fix the children. It does smell
perfectly delicious!" said Bab, lifting the napkin to hang over the
basket, fondly regarding the little round loaf that lay inside.

"Leave some smell for me!" commanded Betty, rushing back to get her
fair share of the spicy fragrance.

The pug noses sniffed it up luxurious