Aunt Maria came in, a little alarmed, to inquire what was the matter with Katie.
"Nuffin, mamma, only we _suffer_ Dinah," replied the child, dancing round the patient; "her wants to ky, but her can't.

Gets caught in her teef comin' out!" "Very well," said Mrs.Clifford, kissing the small nurse, "you may 'suffer' Dinah as much as you like, but please don't scream quite so loud." "Is grandma busy, Aunt 'Ria ?" said Dotty; "because I'd like to see her a moment." The child had seized her knitting-work.

Her face was flushed and eager.
She thought she felt brave enough to open her heart to her grandmother; but when Mrs.Parlin entered the nursery, her face beaming with kindness, Dotty was not ready.
"O, grandma," stammered she, "are there any ducks hatched?
Don't you think that hen is very slow and very lazy ?" Mrs.Parlin knew her little granddaughter had not called her out of the kitchen merely to ask about the poultry.

She seated herself on the sofa, and drew Dotty's head into her lap.
"Please look at my knitting-work, grandma.

Shall I seam that stitch or _plain_ it ?" "You are doing very well," said Mrs.Parlin, looking at the work; "you seamed in the right place." Dotty cast about in her mind for something more to say.
"Grandma, you know what fireflies are?
Well, if you scratch 'em will they light a lamp?
Susy says they have _fosfos_ under their wings, like a match." "No, Alice; with all the scratching in the world, they could not be made to light a lamp." Dotty sighed.
"Grandma, there are some things in this world I hate, and one is skeetos." "They are vexatious little creatures, it is true." There was a long pause.
"Grandma, are skeetos idiotic?
You said people without brains were idiotic, and there isn't any place in a skeeto's head for brains." "Dotty," said grandma, rising with a smile, "if you sent for me to ask me such foolish questions as these, I must really beg to be excused.