r nails growing on the backs of his hands. Quite
a curiosity he'd have been for Barnum's Museum, wouldn't he? you
precious little old toad.

Mrs. Montague was seated behind the tea-tray, and Miss Isabella was
reclining on a sofa up stairs, as if she was too lazy to come down when
the rest of the family did. As the front door was only large enough for
the dolls, the whole back of the house came away. Lina and her visitors
delightedly sat down cross-legged on the floor behind it, and the play
began, the children talking for the dolls.

* * * * *

MRS. MONTAGUE. (Lina speaks for her in a fine voice.) I wish you would
lay down your paper a moment, Charles; I want to speak to you.

MR. M. Well, my dear, I am listening.

MRS. M. No, you are not; put down the paper! [As this couldn't very well
be done by the gentleman himself, Maggie twitched it away for him, and
threw it under the table.]

MRS. M. Now, Charles, I must say I think it is high time Isabella was
married. She is most six months old, I declare! and it strikes me we had
better see if we can find her a husband.

MR. M. What you say is very sensible, my dear; so I will call to-day on
my friend Mr. Morris, and invite him to dinner. Perhaps they will fall
in love with each other.

MRS. M. Oh! but is he handsome, Mr. Montague?

MR. M. Handsome! I should rather think so! Why, he is nearly two feet
high, with curly black hair; a nose that can be seen at the side--which
is more than yours can be, Mrs. Montague--and eyes which open and shut
of themselves when he lies down or sits up. Then he is a Seventh
Regimenter, too, and always wears his uniform; which makes him look very
genteel.

MRS. M. Oh, I am sure he must be lovely! Do bring him to dinner this
very day.

Here Maggie made the dining-room door open, and in walked Miss Isabella.
She wore a pink merino morning dress, open in front, to show her
embroidered petticoat, a pair of bronze slippers with pink bows, and a
net with steel beads in it. Maggie set her down hard in one of the
chairs, and pushed her up to the table; while Minnie, who moved the
nigger boy doll, who waited on table, picked him up by his woolly
top-knot, from the floor, where he had tumbled, and made him hand the
young lady a cup of tea. Then Maggie began:

MISS ISABELLA. Dear me, mamma! this tea's as cold as a stone! I wish you
would have breakfast a little later; as I'm so tired when I come home
from a pa