as she entered the room, the man called Uncle Peter smiled on her,
saying, "Come here, little daughter, and let me touch you with the tip
of my fourth finger."

Shrinking to nearly half her usual size, she managed to pass him
without coming in contact with said finger, which was merely a stump,
the first joint having been amputated. On reaching the back room she
readily found the place where she with all the rest was to wash. For
this she did not care, as the water was as cold and pure, and seemed
as refreshing as when dipped from her mother's tin wash-basin. But
when she came to the wiping part, and tried in vain to find a clean
corner' on the long towel, which hung upon a roller, she felt that she
was indeed a pauper.

"I should think we might have a decent towel," thought she. "Mother
used to say it cost nothing to be clean;" then looking round to be
sure that no one saw her, she caught up the skirt of her dress and
drying her face with it, went back to the kitchen.

She would greatly have preferred a seat by a pleasant looking old lady
who looked kindly on her, but Mrs. Grundy bade her sit down by her and
help herself. She did not exactly fancy the looks of the thick fried
pork, swimming in grease, so she took a potato and a slice of bread,
to get which she reached so far that the lower hook on her dress which
for a day or two had been uncertain whether to come off or stay on,
now decided the matter by dropping on the floor. As she was proceeding
with her breakfast, Uncle Peter suddenly dropping his knife and fork,
exclaimed, "Little daughter's teeth are awry, ain't they?"

Mary had hoped that at the poor-house her mouth would not be a subject