"'What, have you brought in a parcel of cats?
Go straight to the pond
And get 'em all drowned!!
I won't have them here, I can tell you; now s'cats!'
Poor Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly
Set up a loud howl of distress at their folly!

"Off scampered the boy till he came to the bank
Of a very deep pool;
Oh, wasn't it _cruel_!
And tossed in the bag!! To the bottom it sank!!!
With Dilly (oh!), and Dolly (oh!), and Poppledy-polly (oh! oh!),
And that was the end of their fun and their folly!"

MORAL.

"So, children, I solemnly beg and implore,
Whatever you do,
(And you're torments a _few_,)
You'll never slip out of your dear mother's door;
Or, like Dilly, and Dolly, and Poppledy-polly,
You'll surely be made to repent of your folly!"

The children were very much amused with this woful history, bursting out
laughing without any kind of fail when Poppledy-polly, of comical memory
and name, was mentioned. Luly said, "Oh, me _yike_ that name! me want to
call Dody Popply-polly." This made Kitty laugh more than ever, and they
had a great time chasing Dody round the hall, and catching her, to bawl
in her ears "Poppledy-polly!" by way of kindly informing her that was to
be her new name.

Dody didn't seem to like it much, for she jumped out of Luly's arms with
a squeal and a flourish of her long tail, and scampered off faster than
ever each time. After watching them, and laughing for a while, Mr. Lacy
rose to go, saying:

"Good-by, Little Mother; I must go and see some of the big mothers now.
Don't forget me on any account, and tell your mamma, when she comes
home, that I approve your style of housekeeping very much indeed."

"Good-by, Mr. Lacy," said Kitty. "Thank you for your funny story."

"Tank 'ou--funny 'tory!" repeated Luly after her sister.

Mr. Lacy lifted the little thing up to his shoulder, and held her there
a minute, saying, "Good-by, Poppledy-polly! I hope, when I come again,
you will know another hymn to say."

Luly didn't like much to be called Poppledy-polly, and she said, with
an air of considerable displeasure, "My name Luly May;" but when the
minister kissed her, and called her "his little lamb," she relented, and
cooed, "Me _yove_ 'ou, miniter!'

Then something quite sorrowful happened; for two great tears gathered in
the minister's eyes, and came slowly rollin