Page:Samantha on Children's Rights.djvu/203

 understand," sez I, "All the mighty consequences hangin' on it, and I am glad you feel to realize it."

"Well, then," sez she, " what color would you have?"

"Color!" sez I.

"Yes," sez she, "what color would you have for the awnings and trimmings for the big tent where I am to receive? I myself should prefer pink as more becoming to my complexion. Medora wants pale-blue on account of her hair, which she has just dyed a golden color. But Mrs. La Flamme, at her great charity ball, had blue awnings and draperies, and I wouldn't for the world have her think I copied her or was lacking in originality—what do you think of a delicate shell pink?"

I riz up with a real lot of dignity, and, as I glanced down, I see one of her danglers sot there in a stylish carriage, waiting for her, evidently.

So I sez, "Don't let me hender you any longer; Josiah will be here in a few minutes, and I have got some bizness of my own to tend to before I go." I did want to see the landlord about some jars of butter I had sold him, he had made a mistake about sendin' home the jars. So she went downstairs on that side of the buildin', and I swep' through the hall with a sight of dignity, and didn't finish sweepin' till I swep over some playthings of Algernon's, and he swore at me till I got to the bottom of the stairs.

Well, the landlord promised to send home my jars, and I went out on the lower piazza, which wuz most deserted at this hour, and pretty soon Angenora come and found me there. She had got sick of playin' with Algernon, she said, and, as we sot there, we could hear him swearin' at his nurse and tearin' at the cat's tail. And