the top, he had to keep his cap on before all
the ladies. His eyes were made of steel beads, sewed close together; one
was perfect, but half of the beads had dropped out of the other, making
him look as if he were winking at the company. He wore white-worsted
mittens, black pantaloons, and a fiery red jacket. His nose was made by
sewing the middle of his face into a hard knot, and it was a nose of a
shape never before seen on this earth: and, altogether, the poor Count
de Morny looked very much like a monkey with the toothache; and must
have known it, for he hung his head as if he were ashamed of himself.

And now Lily set up the count and his bride on the sofa, with the
minister on her other side--all, in great state and dignity, ready to
receive the company.

They arrived very fast; and, before long, fourteen little girls, and
three little boys--the only live gentlemen of the party,--and about
twenty dolls were assembled.

When they were ushered into the reception-room, and saw the
comical-looking groom, there was such a peal of merry, childish laughter
that you would have thought the room was full of singing-birds--such
little rollicking trills and carols, it was perfectly delightful to hear
them. But Lily, with a very solemn and grave air, said, "Ladies, the
groom is not of a very _prippersessing_ appearance, but (as Mr. Curtis
told me to say) he has a great deal of money."

This made the children laugh more than ever. What did they know or care
about money? You might as well have talked Latin to those innocent
little ones, as to try to make them believe that any body was any better
for the money they had. No! that sort of belief is for "children of a
larger growth."

And now Lily took up each little girl, in turn, and introduced her and
her dolls to the bride. When Alice went, she did not know exactly what
to say; but she recollected what the gentlemen on last New Year's day
said to her mother, and she thought that would do nicely; so, dropping a
pretty little courtesy, she pressed the white-kid hand of the bride,
and, as a blush mantled in her cheek, she said, "How do you do? I wish
you many happy returns of the season!" by which Alice meant, I suppose,
that she ought to be married every year. At any rate, it was thought a
very fine speech, and was imitated and repeated several times.

I must describe Rosalie's doll. Remember, dear little reader, this is
all true. Well, Rosalie had a beautiful doll, dressed