Some children might not have seen the necessity, but Dotty had been well instructed at home; she knew this good, kind grandmamma was deserving of the highest respect, and if any of her grandchildren disobeyed her, they could do no less than acknowledge their fault.

But Dotty was a very proud child; she could not humble herself yet.
Mrs.Parlin dressed the lame foot, and pitied it, and was very sorry the little girl had any soreness of the throat; but not a word of reproach did she utter; she was waiting to see if Dotty had anything to say for herself.
Susy and Prudy had gone to Aunt Martha's and, till "the Charlie boy" came, there was no one at home for company but little Katie.

Dotty did not wish to think; so she made the best of the little ones, and played "keep school." Black Dinah was the finest-looking pupil, but there were several others made of old shawls and table-covers, who sat bolt upright, and bore their frequent whippings very meekly.

Katie and Charlie each held a birch switch, and took the government of the school, while Dotty did the teaching.
"Spell _man_," said Dotty, sternly, pointing with a bodkin at Dinah.
Dinah was sulky, and kept her red silk mouth shut; but Dotty answered for her: "m, a, n, man." "To," said she to the black and white shawl: "t, o, to." "Put," to the green table-cover: "p, u, t, put." "We 'shamed o' you," said Katie, beating the whole school unmercifully.
"Why don't you mind in a minute?
Let _me_ spell 'em! Hush, Dinah! Say put! T, o, put!" "I think," said Dotty, laughing, "it is time now for Dinah to take her music lesson." "Yes," said Katie, "lady wants um to packus." So the colored miss was set on the music stool, and both her kid hands spread out upon the keys.
"Don't um packus booful ?" said Katie, admiringly.
But next moment Charlie was punishing the pupil because she didn't "breeve." "Kady wanth her to breeve when her packithith." As it was an ingrain misfortune of Dinah's that she could not breathe, she showed no signs of repentance.
"Stop!" said Dotty; "she looks faint; it is rheumatism, I think." "O, O, roosum-tizzum! Poo' Dinah!" said Katie.
"We must pack her in a wet sheet," said Dotty.
Katie was sent to the kitchen for a towel and a basin of water; and very soon Dinah's clothes were removed, and she was rolled up in a pack; like the boy in the swamp, with "not a bit of her out but the end of her nose." "Ow! Ow!" cried Katie, in a tone of agony, speaking for Dinah.

"Ow! O, dear!" This was what the black patient would have said, no doubt, if she had had her faculties.