hat at first. She said, "Yes! you'd better shut
your eyes, you naughty thing! Don't tell me it was 'a accidence.' You
did it yourself, I know, and I don't love you one bit. You don't look
fit to be seen, and the party will be here before I'm ready. Oh, dear!
just open your eyes, and see what you've done."

But poor Rosalinda's eyes wouldn't open, and the more Polly shook her,
the tighter shut they stayed, till she ran, crying, to mamma, to ask
for help. Mamma had seen it all; so now she took Polly and Rosalinda
both on her lap, and gave what Polly called "a little preach."

[Illustration: "JUST OPEN YOUR EYES, AND SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE."]

It did her good, real good, and at last she said: "Dear mamma, if
Rosalinda will only open her eyes once more and look at me, I believe I
will never be so naughty again."

So mamma found a way to open the pretty blue eyes, and Polly kissed
them both, and then kissed mamma for helping her.

By the time the party came, everything was ready. Polly was very good,
and let the girls play with her beautiful Rosalinda the whole time. I
do not know how long the good will last. I hope till every one forgets
to call her Discontented Polly, and learns to call her Darling Polly
instead.

[Illustration]

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.

Well, my dears, spring is here at last, and it is very pleasant to see
the buds and flowers again. I begin to hear the voices of the children
more often, too; and now and then I catch a glimpse of bright faces and
new dresses.

By the way, talking of dresses puts me in mind of a paragram that came
the other day, about

TRIMMINGS FOR COWS.

Something quite new to you, I dare say, for which of you ever heard of
trimming cows with their own horns and ears? How should you like to see
a cow with her ears--poor thing!--cut to the shape of a leaf with
notched edges, and horns trained in some queer shape, twisted into
curls, or divided into four, with two meeting overhead, and two turned
down toward the ground? It would be a dreadful sight to me, I am sure;
but the Africans admire such things. They consider this trimming of
cows a sort of fine art. You don't see how they manage the horns? Well,
they begin when the horns are young; divide each into two, or more, and
gradually train them, while growing, in any way they choose. Of course
it must hurt the poor cows, and take a great deal of time; but the
people who train cows' horns have not very tender feelings, and