ll only ask her.

ISABELLA. Well, I guess she can come; but she must have a new dress for
the wedding.

MR. MORRIS. Yes, she shall, certainly. Good-by, Miss Isabella. I'm going
down town pretty soon, so your father can ask me to come.

MISS ISABELLA. Oh yes, do! I want you to come _velly_ much.

* * * * *

"Now, Maggie, we must stop the play a little while," said Lina, "and fix
the dinner for them."

"Yes, do," cried Maggie; "let's see, what shall be for dinner?"

"Oh, chicken, that's the nicest!" said Minnie.

"No, they had chicken yesterday," said Lina; "let them have roast
beef."

"Very well," went on Maggie, who was looking over the dishes in the box
of "eatables," as Lina called them. "Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and
macaroni."

"Oh, not macaroni," cried Minnie; "the cheese will bite their tongues."

"Oh, yes! Mr. Morris likes macaroni," said her sister.

"Well, macaroni, then; and plum-pudding for dessert--and apples."

"Ah, make them have jelly," said Lina; "that's the prettiest thing in
the box."

So the dinner was hunted out, and the three children set the table in
fine style; while Toby, the black boy, whose business it certainly was
to have done it, sat coolly in Mr. Montague's armchair, with his
master's newspaper in his lap, and goggled at the table without moving
an inch. Then Lina dressed Mrs. Montague, and Maggie and Minnie together
dressed Miss Isabella; and nobody dressed poor Mr. Morris, or Mr.
Charles Augustus Montague; because they unluckily had but one suit a
piece, sewed fast on to them at that.

This time Miss Isabella wore a pink silk frock, with a deep puffing
round the bottom, finished at each edge with black velvet. Then she had
a long pink sash, edged with two rows of narrow black velvet; a pointed
belt encircled her waist, and the body of her dress was a mass of puffs,
with narrow black velvet between. On her head was a pink wreath, with
long ribbon ends hanging down her back; and tied fast to her wrist was a
pink feather fan with gold sticks. In fact, Miss Isabella looked rather
as if she were going to a party than coming down to dinner; but the
children thought the pink silk so charming, that she must wear it,
whether or no.

Mrs. Montague wore a purple silk, a black lace shawl, and a head-dress
of pink rosebuds and black lace.

When the ladies were fairly seated in the parlor, Lina rang the bell,
and Minnie and Maggie made Mr. Morris