el?

PATSY. Sure, I was washing him, I was. And he was that slippery with
the soap that he slid through me fingers and down to the bottom of the
barrel.

NORA. Oh, the poor little Teddy Magee. (_Runs out R., followed by_
PATSY _and_ CLARISSA.)

_Enter_ MARY ANN _and_ PETER PAN _from L._

MARY ANN. And how de yeez like me new sash, Peter Pan?

PETER PAN. Scwumptious.

MARY ANN. It's a tidy cover off'n a bureau, and I don't want to wear
it at all, at all. Folks'll be after thinking I'm a bureau. Don't it
look funny, Peter Pan?

PETER PAN. Scwumptious.

MARY ANN. I'm not going to wear it, so I'm not.

_Enter_ BRIDGET _from L._

BRIDGET. Mary Ann Mulligan, and what are yeez trying to do with your
nice new sash?

MARY ANN. I ain't going to wear no tidy cover. Folks'll be after
thinking I'm a bureau.

BRIDGET. Sure they'll think worse than that if yeez take it off.
That's what comes of yer growing so fast. Yer skirt is fer six years
old, and yer waist is fer six years old, and so you have to wear the
sash to help out the other two years. Sashes are awful stylish,
anyhow. It's pretty, too, ain't it, Peter Pan?

PETER PAN. Scwumptious.

_Enter_ MRS. MULLIGAN _from R., followed by_ PASTY _and_ NORA.

MRS. MULLIGAN. It's lucky for him that there wasn't any more water in
the rain-barrel, or he would have been drownded dead sure. Patsy, yeez
had no business to let him drop. Nora, you go out and finish him.
Where's Clarissa?

_Enter_ CLARISSA _from R._

CLARISSA. Here I am, maw.

MRS. MULLIGAN (_looks her over carefully_). Well, you're all ready.
That's one. Nora and Patsy and Matsy are all ready. That makes four.
Mary Ann, are you all fixed?

MARY ANN. Yes, mum, but I don't like me sash at all, at all. Folks
will all know it's a bureau tidy, it's got fringe and everything.

MRS. MULLIGAN. Oh, ho, me fine young lady. I suppose yeez want a
peek-a-boo dress all trimmed with mayonnaise ruffles down the bias, do
you? It's lucky for you I found that tidy in the wash, so it is. And
don't yeez eat too much or breathe hard or ye'll bust it, and then
where'll you be at?

BRIDGET. Maw, Mary Ann's chewing her apron.

MRS. MULLIGAN (_at the wash-tub_). Mary Ann Mulligan, take that apron
out'n your mouth. I niver saw such a girl to be always chewing
something. It's first yer dress and then yer apron or your petticoat,
whatever happens to be your topmost garment. Clothes were not made to
chew.

_Enter_ NORA _with