n,
mamma is in the parlor, and Charley is sitting in her lap--and the
TREMENDOUS DOG is asleep on the rug--and we are not to have a Nightcap
story to-night--but something grand! splendid!"

[Illustration: THE TREMENDOUS DOG!]

"Somesing 'tonishing," chimed in little Minnie--"_tome!_ _kick!_"--by
which she meant me to "come quick"--and not to tell me to kick
anybody--oh dear, no!

So we all hurried along--and how I got into the room, without stepping
upon some of their dear little toes, I am sure I don't know, but nobody
seemed to be hurt--and heads and toes came in all safe--and Charley
lifted up his sweet pale face for a kiss, and his mother shook hands
with me, and then we all sat down, and the boys said "hush," and the
girls said "hush," till it sounded so much like a room brimful of cats
sneezing, that I laughed; and that made the children laugh, and then of
course they had to jump up and down in their seats, and the girls had to
twirl round and make cheeses, and this made the TREMENDOUS DOG laugh,
which he did by wagging his tail, like a flag in a high wind, and giving
two or three short barks, and it was just as good as going to Barnum's
Museum, to see such a "happy family." If you had asked _Barnum_ about
it, he would have said it was ever so much better.

At last I said: "Dear little Charley, I have put the stories told to
you, and Minnie, and the rest, into three Nightcap books. They have
pleased the children very much. I know this, because I have received a
great many letters; such nice letters! telling me how the children
laughed and cried, and not one single word in any of them to say that
anybody put his mouth out of joint, yawning over the stories. Instead of
that, they all want more; and this very day a sweet little girl came to
see me to ask for more. She was not like poor Oliver Twist, asking for
food for her body. Oh no! she was a plump, merry, rosy-cheeked darling,
just like Minnie, and eat just as much good bread and milk as she
wanted, and molasses candy, too--for she promised to give me ever so
much, if I would only give her another Nightcap book--and what is more
and better, she has promised to read the Bible to me, when I am old and
blind."

"Did you ever!" shouted the children; "Aunt Fanny, old and blind! We'll
read to you, too, the whole Bible, and all the books in the bookcase
beside! When are you going to be? Will you walk with a long black cane
like old Granny Van Winkle? Do begin pret