Page:The old stone house.djvu/18

10 children. "Grace is too young to cause me much anxiety ; but still I seem to have made no more impression upon her religious nature than I could have done upon a running brook; and as for Tom — " Here Aunt Faith's musings were rudely interrupted by a shout and a howl. Through the hall behind her came a galloping procession. First, "Turk," the great Newfound- land dog, harnessed to a rattling wagon, in which sat " Grip," the mongrel, muffled in a shawl, his melancholy countenance encircled with a white ruffled cap ; then came Tom, as driver, and be- hind him " Pete," the terrier, fastened by a long string, and dragging Miss Estella Camilla Wales, in her little go-cart, very much against his will. " Miss Estella Camilla Wales " was Grace's favorite doll, and no sooner did she behold the danger of her pet, than she sprang from the sitting-room sofa and gave chase. But Tom flourished his whip, old Turk galloped down the garden-walk with the whole train at his heels, and Miss Wales was whirled across the street before Grace could reach the gate.