threw it as hard as I could. The little
dog who lived with Annie, thought I did it for him to catch. He bounced
upon the stage, barking and wagging his tail till he nearly wagged it
off; and seized the bouquet, while Annie's brother tried to get it away;
and they chased each other up and down the room, the minstrels and the
company all laughing ready to kill themselves. What fun it was!

At last Annie's brother got about a quarter of the flowers away from the
dog; and then he put his hand on his heart, and made a bow lower than
the first; and Annie was afraid he had almost broken the bone in his
back.

After this funny concert was over, the musicians, who had been sent for
from New York, began to play dancing tunes; and all the company went
into another large parlor, and commenced to dance; while Annie's
brothers and their friends got scrubbing brushes, and soap, and hot
water, and scrubbed and rubbed, and scrubbed and rubbed, till they
nearly scrubbed the noses off their faces; but it was not very long
before they came in, looking as white and clean as could be; only Annie
thought they had made a great mistake--taking out their splendid
breastpins. She said, "Why, Aunt Fanny, those breastpins are so _brighty
bright!_ oh, how I wish I had one! Don't you?"

"Yes, dear," I answered; "and I will go and ask the jeweller to give me
one for you to keep. You shall choose it yourself."

This was delightful! and Annie and I danced and laughed, and had some
ice cream in a snug little corner together; and she sat up ever so late,
without wanting to shut her blue eyes once; and when the company went
away they kissed Annie, and shook hands with the handsome, gentlemanly
little boys, and thanked them for their nice, funny concert. I don't
know but what some of them kissed one or two of the youngest of Annie's
brothers. I did; but that's because I'm only Aunt Fanny, which makes a
difference, you see. I'm so little, that half the time the children
forget I am quite old. They catch hold of me, and make me play so hard,
that I am afraid I shall never get to be a very mouldy old lady, sitting
in a corner, with my head tied up in a flannel petticoat, to keep off
the draught. I'm afraid I shall always be frisky. What do _you_ think
about it, you little apple dumplings?

Would you like to hear the rest about the breastpin? Well, I will tell
you. Annie chose the one with the great red stone in the middle and ten
white ones all round it;