reproach
did she utter; she was waiting to see if Dotty had anything to say for
herself.

Susy and Prudy had gone to Aunt Martha's and, till "the Charlie boy"
came, there was no one at home for company but little Katie. Dotty did
not wish to think; so she made the best of the little ones, and played
"keep school."

Black Dinah was the finest-looking pupil, but there were several others
made of old shawls and table-covers, who sat bolt upright, and bore
their frequent whippings very meekly. Katie and Charlie each held a
birch switch, and took the government of the school, while Dotty did the
teaching.

"Spell _man_," said Dotty, sternly, pointing with a bodkin at Dinah.

Dinah was sulky, and kept her red silk mouth shut; but Dotty answered
for her: "m, a, n, man."

"To," said she to the black and white shawl: "t, o, to." "Put," to the
green table-cover: "p, u, t, put."

"We 'shamed o' you," said Katie, beating the whole school unmercifully.
"Why don't you mind in a minute? Let _me_ spell 'em! Hush, Dinah! Say
put! T, o, put!"

"I think," said Dotty, laughing, "it is time now for Dinah to take her
music lesson."

"Yes," said Katie, "lady wants um to packus."

So the colored miss was set on the music stool, and both her kid hands
spread out upon the keys.

"Don't um packus booful?" said Katie, admiringly.

But next moment Charlie was punishing the pupil because she didn't
"breeve." "Kady wanth her to breeve when her packithith."

As it was an ingrain misfortune of Dinah's that she could not breathe,
she showed no signs of repentance.

"Stop!" said Dotty; "she looks faint; it is rheumatism, I think."

"O, O, roosum-tizzum! Poo' Dinah!" said Katie.

"We must pack her in a wet sheet," said Dotty.

Katie was sent to the kitchen for a towel and a basin of water; and very
soon Dinah's clothes were removed, and she was rolled up in a pack;
like the boy in the swamp, with "not a bit of her out but the end of her
nose."

"Ow! Ow!" cried Katie, in a tone of agony, speaking for Dinah. "Ow! O,
dear!"

This was what the black patient would have said, no doubt, if she had
had her faculties. Aunt Maria came in, a little alarmed, to inquire what
was the matter with Katie.

"Nuffin, mamma, only we _suffer_ Dinah," replied the child, dancing
round the patient; "her wants to ky, but her can't. Gets caught in her
teef comin' out!"

"Very well," said Mrs. Clifford, kissing the small nurse, "you may
'suffer' Dinah