ad better run for her life, which she accordingly did, stumbling
against all the tables, and breaking her toes over every chair; but she
disappeared at last, the parrot shrieking most horribly after her, and
all the people laughing till their sides ached.

With many a lingering, admiring glance at their funny new friend, the
children at last left the enchanting saloon, and hastened home to tell
of all the wonderful things they had seen and heard; both talking,
exclaiming, and laughing at once, until it would have taken at least six
mammas to have heard it all.

When Sallie's father came home, of course he had to hear how they went
out, "just like two old women, very independent, and eat a poll parrot
and heard an ice cream," at which he was greatly astonished until they
explained that it was the ice cream they had eaten, and the poll parrot
they had heard.

Soon after tea, Fanny was sent for, and after many attempts, her bonnet
and pretty little white Marseilles cloak were fastened, for she jumped,
and Sallie jumped during the operation, till you would have thought they
were pith witches, only they fortunately kept on their feet; afterward
they kissed each other jumping, and the kisses lighted on the very ends
of their noses, and Sallie ran to the corner with her, and bade her
good-by, and ran back to her mother, who was standing at the door, and
ran into the parlor and all round it with such a hop-skip-and-jump, that
her mother thought the mayor of the city, if he only could see her,
would be wanting to hire her for a lamplighter.

At last the time came for Sallie to go to bed, and she was undressed
with plenty more laughing and jumping, but her dear little face grew
sober and sweetly serious when she said her prayers, and in this her
mother was very particular: not a word was mispronounced; and every
syllable was distinctly repeated until the little girl knew them all
correctly, and what was more, understood them, and it was a beautiful
sight to see the little one's clasped hands and innocent face when she
asked God to bless all her relatives and friends, and make her a good
child.

Sallie's mother, that evening, seemed to want a great many things out
of the nursery; she was continually coming in with a light, and looking
for her pocket handkerchief, or thimble, or a book.

At last Sallie grew quite impatient at these disturbances; she sat up
straight in her little crib, and in a plaintive tone, said, "Dear mamm