ernally entwined, were interchanging confidences on the
important subjects of "My peg top," "Don't you think thirty-eight cents
is a tremendous price for kites?" "How many glass agates have you got?"
and so on--when Tom, looking very mischievous, suddenly lifted up dolly
by the toe of her shoe, and asked, "Why, Nelly, what's the matter with
this doll; has she got the spinal complaint?"

"No, you goose," said Nelly, laughing. "What makes you ask that?"

"Because she has on a supporter," said Tom, with perfect gravity,
pointing to the velvet belt. "Poor thing! why don't you take her in
bathing? It would do her health good, I'm sure; she looks fearfully
pale."

"Ah, make him put her down, Nelly," said Baby; "he'll break her if he
goes on so;" for Tom was now amusing himself by balancing dolly on her
head in his hand, making a great display of embroidered trowsers and
hoop petticoats; and now, catching her by both hands, he suddenly swung
her over the railing. "This is the way she ought to be ducked under the
waves!" he added. Nelly sprang forward at the same moment with an "Oh,
Tom! please!" and caught his arm rather suddenly. His hold relaxed at
the same moment, and crash! down tumbled poor dolly on the ground below,
breaking one of her wax arms completely off, and making a fearful cavity
in her forehead, which killed her completely! that is, I should think
so. I never heard of any one who survived fracture of the skull. Did
you?

Poor Nelly! She tried hard not to mind it; but dolly's head was one too
many for her, and the tears came rolling quickly down her cheeks as she
gazed at the unfortunate waxen damsel below, with quivering lip. Tom
turned red and white alternately in silence for a moment, and then began
pouring forth apologies and regrets. He called himself all the imps
that ever were heard of for being so careless; he offered to go to New
York that very day to buy another doll, and have his hair well pulled
beside, if she only would forgive him, and say she didn't think he had
done it on purpose; and, in short, we had quite a little scene; when,
fortunately, there occurred to me a pleasant means of diverting the
minds of the party from the accident that had happened. So I laid down
my paper, as though I had not been listening, and said:

"Well, little people, I believe I have discovered all the news there is;
so what do you say to coming to a party I am thinking of giving in my
room?"

"A party!" cried the