welve o'clock the sun shone bright and warm, and Alice and her
doll were soon dressed; the first, all smiles, doing every thing with a
hop, skip and jump; while Miss Anna, whose heart, if she had any, was as
hard, no doubt, as her china head, kept the same prinking smile on her
face, as she was violently twisted and twitched about, and pins run into
her in all directions; not to speak of her being thrown so hastily on
the bed, while Alice was having her bonnet tied and her gloves put on,
that she fell over on the top of her head, and remained in this painful
position a quarter of an hour.

And now, all was ready, and kissing every body, even the cat, for
"good-bye," Alice set out, with her sister and Miss Anna, for the scene
of the festivities.

When they arrived, they found they were the very first, and were
received with great ceremony by Lily.

"Dear me, Alice," she said, "we were obliged to have the ceremony
yesterday, for so many little girls came we did not like to disappoint
them; but there is to be a reception to-day."

"A reception! what's that?" said Alice.

"Why, the bride will see all her friends. I will tell you about the
ceremony that took place yesterday, then you will know every thing.
Shall I?"

"Oh, do!" cried Alice; "have it over again, can't you?"

"Oh, no! that would not do," said Lily. "Well, we put the bride and
groom in the middle-room, leaning against the door; and, as the minister
could not stand up alone, I tied him fast to a chair; he did not speak
loud: so it was a kind of tableau."

"Oh!" said Alice, "what's that?"

"Why, like a picture, my dear;" said Lily, who was two years older than
Alice, and of course knew a great deal more. She made all her
explanations with sweetness and good-nature. She did not say, "Pooh!
don't you know that?--what a goose!" as some children do. She had been
taught true politeness by her dear mother, and every one who knew Lily
loved her dearly.

"Just think, Alice," said Lily, "when the doors were opened, every body
burst out laughing at the groom. Now, please don't you make a face or
laugh;" and Lily opened the door leading into the reception-room, and
Alice and her sister burst out laughing, too,--they could not help it;
for--though the bride was a splendid lady, with a tarlatan dress and
thread-lace veil--the groom--who was no less than the Count de
Morny--was a knit-worsted doll, most dismal to behold. His brown-worsted
wig not being finished on