of the old leather trunk, and finally a little blue and white lawn
dress. It was too long in the skirt, and pending the moment when
Samantha should "take a tack in it," it anticipated the present fashion,
and made Lady Gay look more like a disguised princess than ever. The
gown was low-necked and short-sleeved, in the old style; and Samantha
was in despair till she found some little embroidered muslin capes and
full undersleeves, with which she covered Gay's pink neck and arms.
These things of beauty so wrought upon the child's excitable nature that
she could hardly keep still long enough to have her hair curled; and
Samantha, as the shining rings dropped off her horny forefinger, was
wrestling with the Evil One, in the shape of a little box of jewelry
that she had found with the clothing. She knew that the wish was a
vicious one, and that such gewgaws were out of place on a little pauper
just taken in for the night; but her fingers trembled with a desire to
fasten the little gold ears of corn on the shoulders, or tie the strings
of coral beads round the child's pretty throat.

When the toilet was completed, and Samantha was emptying the tub, Gay
climbed on the bureau and imprinted sloppy kisses of sincere admiration
on the radiant reflection of herself in the little looking-glass; then,
getting down again, she seized her heap of Minerva Court clothes, and,
before the astonished Samantha could interpose, flung them out of the
second-story window, where they fell on the top of the lilac bushes.

"Me doesn't like nasty old dress," she explained, with a dazzling smile
that was a justification in itself; "me likes pretty new dress!" and
then, with one hand reaching up to the door-knob, and the other
throwing disarming kisses to Samantha,--"By-by! Lady Gay go circus now!
Timfy, come, take Lady Gay to circus!"