O, it is beautiful to be dead!" After this Dotty was not at all afraid when she touched the cold face in the casket, for she knew Charlie was not there.
"It is beautiful to be dead!" said she next day to Katie.

"Charlie is very glad of it." "Yes, he's in the ground-up,--in heaven!" said Katie in a dreamy way; for, in her small mind, she believed heaven was a place called "in the ground-up," and that was all she cared about it.
"Yes, Charlie is in the ground," replied Dotty, "but he doesn't know it.
That dog Pincher was put in the ground; but I think likely _he_ knew it, for his soul wasn't in heaven; and he hadn't any soul, not a real one." "Well," said Katie, dancing out at the door, "when will the Charlie boy come back?
I want um play." "Why, Katie," said Dotty, in a tone of reproof, "haven't I told you he is all dead ?" "Well, YOU isn't dead--IS you?
Less us go an' swing!" The little girls ran out to the trees, and soon forgot all about their old playmate.

But, after this, whenever any one spoke of Charlie, Katie thought,-- "The Charlie boy's in the ground-up,--in heaven," and Dotty thought,-- "O, it is beautiful to be dead!" * * * * * For the present, we will leave them swinging under the tree at Grandma Parlin's; but if we see Miss Dimple again, she will have been spirited away to her own mother's home in the city of Portland.
* * * * * Transcriber's Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Page 4, the word "To" has been presumed as the original is unclear.
Page 17, "Jenny" changed to "Jennie" to conform to rest of text.
(hands, Jennie Vance) Page 23, "Vauce" changed to "Vance".

(No, Jennie Vance) Page 44, "Perphaps" changed to "Perhaps".

(Perhaps there will be two) Page 49, "pedler" changed to "peddler".