A Sweet Little Maid | Page 5

then," said Dimple. "I shall have to think, for I've had a Rose and a Violet and a Lily, besides one named Victoria, and one Aurelia."
Florence sat still watching Bubbles briskly scouring her knives. "Dear me," she said, presently, "it's awfully hard. How do you suppose our mothers found names for us?"
"Oh! that was easy enough," answered Dimple. "I was named Eleanor after your mamma, and you were named Florence after mine; but, you see we are not sisters, so we can't do that. I'll tell you what let's do; you tell mamma the names you like best, and I will tell her those I like; then she can write them down and put them in a hat, and we will draw lots for them."
"That will be a good plan," said Florence. "She is coming now with the reserve bag."
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" they cried, as Mrs. Dallas shook out its contents.
"Let Florence choose first, dear," said she as Dimple began making dives at the fluttering ends of silk. "You may each have two pieces."
Dimple looked a little disappointed; being an only child she was used to first choice herself, but she yielded with a very good grace.
Florence finally chose a piece of maroon satin, and another of yellow brocaded velvet, while Dimple picked out a piece of silk with velvet stripes of a lovely pink, and another bit of blue silk brocade. "Mamma," whispered she, "give Bubbles a little piece, if she is black," and so the brightest bit of scarlet was picked out for Bubbles, who was made perfectly happy by it.
"Now, names," exclaimed Dimple, as the rest of the pieces were returned to the bag. "First Florence one and then I one. How many, Florence?"
"Four, I think. Ethel first, for me. No, you choose first, Dimple. I had first choice in the pieces."
"No, you're company."
Being company, Florence took her rights, and Ethel went down.
"Blanche, for me, mamma," said Dimple.
"And Celestine for me, auntie."
"Irene," said Dimple.
"Geraldine," said Florence.
"Adele," said Dimple.
"My last," said Florence. "Rubina."
"Oh, what a lovely name!" exclaimed Dimple. "If you don't draw it, I should like it, so I won't say any more till you have drawn."
The slips were shaken up in a hat, and Florence, with eyes shut, drew out Celestine.
"I am glad," she said. "I believe I like that best; it has a sort of a heavenly sound, and my doll is angelic."
"Well, mamma, I will take Rubina. You don't care, do you, Florence?"
"No, indeed. I am glad you like it."
"Now they are named, we will dress them."
"How are you going to dress yours, Dimple?"
"I think I'll have a skirt of the blue and a waist of the pink. No, the other way, will look best, because the velvet is thickest, the skirt of pink and the waist of blue."
"Well, I will have to make my doll's frock of all the same, with velvet trimming. Will that look well?"
"Lovely! What are you going to do with your piece, Bubbles?"
"Make a overskirt for Floridy Alabamy," said Bubbles, importantly.
"Who?" said Dimple, with her scissors ready to cut into the pink.
"Floridy Alabamy," said Bubbles, gravely.
"What a name!" shrieked Dimple, throwing back her head in a fit of laughter. "Florence, did you hear? Floridy Alabamy."
And the girls laughed till the tears ran down their cheeks.
"Bubbles, you are too ridiculous," said Dimple, while Bubbles pinned her bit of scarlet on her doll.
Just then Sylvy called her, and she ran off, holding her doll admiringly at arm's length.
"She will dress it just like a darkey. You see," said Dimple, "she has a purple dress on it now; think of that, with a scarlet overskirt; and I know she will make it a blue waist out of one of my old sash ribbons I gave her."
And sure enough, Floridy Alabamy did wear the three colors in triumph.
"Do you like big or little dolls best?" asked Florence.
"I don't know," said Dimple. "I think rather big or real little. Middle sizes are so hard to dress. They have to have such little fidgety sleeves and waists. I have two little dolls upstairs, and we can dress them up next. I believe one of them has an arm off, but it can be mended. How many dolls have you?"
"Four, now," answered Florence. "I had five, but Gertrude broke one. Gertrude is such a mischief, I have to keep all my things locked up. I hope to goodness they won't let her get at them while I'm away."
"Oh, you must make a traveling dress for your Celestine. I have a piece of grey linen that will just do."
By the time the dinner bell rang, both the dolls were dressed gorgeously.
"Aren't they lovely, papa?" said Dimple, as she hobbled out to meet him.
"Yes; they look like two butterflies," he said, lifting her up, doll and all.
"Are you