o toach, Dodmother."

"Behold it!" and Nan waved her wand with such a flourish, that she
nearly knocked off the crown of the Princess.

Then appeared the grand triumph of the piece. First, a rope was seen to
flap on the floor, to tighten with a twitch as Emil's voice was heard
to say, "Heave, ahoy!" and Silas's gruff one to reply, "Stiddy,
now, stiddy!" A shout of laughter followed, for four large gray rats
appeared, rather shaky as to their legs, and queer as to their tails,
but quite fine about the head, where black beads shone in the most
lifelike manner. They drew, or were intended to appear as if they did,
a magnificent coach made of half the mammoth pumpkin, mounted on the
wheels of Teddy's wagon, painted yellow to match the gay carriage.
Perched on a seat in front sat a jolly little coachman in a white
cotton-wool wig, cocked hat, scarlet breeches, and laced coat, who
cracked a long whip and jerked the red reins so energetically, that the
gray steeds reared finely. It was Teddy, and he beamed upon the company
so affably that they gave him a round all to himself; and Uncle Laurie
said, "If I could find as sober a coachman as that one, I would engage
him on the spot." The coach stopped, the godmother lifted in the
Princess, and she was trundled away in state, kissing her hand to the
public, with her glass shoes sticking up in front, and her pink train
sweeping the ground behind, for, elegant as the coach was, I regret to
say that her Highness was rather a tight fit.

The next scene was the ball, and here Nan and Daisy appeared as gay as
peacocks in all sorts of finery. Nan was especially good as the proud
sister, and crushed many imaginary ladies as she swept about the
palace-hall. The Prince, in solitary state upon a somewhat unsteady
throne, sat gazing about him from under an imposing crown, as he played
with his sword and admired the rosettes in his shoes. When Cinderella
came in he jumped up, and exclaimed, with more warmth than elegance,

"My gracious! who is that?" and immediately led the lady out to dance,
while the sisters scowled and turned up their noses in the corner.

The stately jig executed by the little couple was very pretty, for the
childish faces were so earnest, the costumes so gay, and the steps so
peculiar, that they looked like the dainty quaint figures painted on
a Watteau fan. The Princess's train was very much in her way, and
the sword of Prince Rob nearly tripped him up several times.