h to get some shells."

Prudy looked up from her writing.

"Don't go near the water," said she; then throwing her arms about her
little sister, she sang,--

"If you love me as I love you,
No knife shall cut our love in two."

"Well, I do," replied Dotty, with an affectionate hug, "and I sha'n't go
near the water."

"You won't forget?" said Prudy, anxiously. "You know mamma's as afraid
of the water as she can be."

"What are you after?" cried Angeline, half a minute afterwards. "Of all
the rummaging children!" At the same time she gave Dotty a nice cake
warm from the oven.

"I'm looking for my hat," said the little girl, shutting the sink door.
"Last time I saw it 'twas in a barrel somewhere."

But it happened to be in a hogshead.

"I think this is a real nice sort of world," thought Dotty, as she and
Johnny trudged off in the pleasant sunshine. "I do think, just to
myself--though I wouldn't say it out loud--that I'm as nice as anybody.
I don't know what Prudy'd do 'thout me; and I guess Susy'd cry her eyes
out!"

"What you thinking about?" said Johnny.

"O, 'bout a good many things! Let's run; it tires me to pieces to walk!"

"Look!" cried Johnny, "there's Mandoline!"

And such a pretty sight as bareheaded Mandoline presented! She was a
little Jewess, with such beauty, perhaps, as that of the women we read
about in the Bible. She had dark, wavy hair, like sea-foam with ink
tipped over in it. Her eyes were like gems; there was a brilliant color
in her cheeks, and her mouth was so sweet that

"Upon her lip the honey bee
Might build her waxen throne."

Dotty did not know why she liked Mandoline so well, but like her she
did. Mrs. Parlin was afraid Mandoline had not been taught to respect the
truth, and had often desired her little daughter not to play with the
beautiful Jewess.

But "Lina" went to Mrs. Eastman's, and Mrs. Eastman petted her. Dotty
thought it could not be wrong to associate with a little girl her auntie
liked so well.

"Come with us, Lina," said Johnny.

"Where are you going?"

"Going to make a Bunger Hill Monuement," replied
Dotty. "We know where the shells grow real thick."

"But I've lost my shaker. A dog's got it."

"O, no matter, _you_ don't care," said Dotty, in a grandmotherly tone,
"for _I_ won't let anybody laugh at you."

Lina yielded. The three children tripped along together, taking up
Freddy Jackson on the way--a deaf and dumb boy, who only knew wh