“Whereas, Ever so many children would be so sorry, they would not know what to do; therefore,
“Resolved, That the stories are perfectly delightful, and would do the children more good than forty whippings, or a hundred doses of medicine; and
“Resolved, That after being told in the famous story of the “Dinner Party,” that the
Dogs and cats were so polite,
They quite forgot to bark and bite,
it would never do to let all the rest of the children in the world lose a chance of growing as polite, as we mean to be after this, or as amiable and unselfish as Philip Badboy became; and so, dear Aunt Fanny, you will please to send your stories to Mr. Sheldon immediately, and ask him to get them printed in the very greatest hurry—real head-over-heels hurry, too.”
“There!” cried Fred, reading the manifesto over with admiration, but with a vague idea that they did not sound quite right, particularly the last one. “There! Now we must sign our names—ladies first.”
So Sophie and the rest signed; and Aunt Fanny got the resolutions before breakfast the next morning, and had a good laugh over them.
But she sent the stories to Mr. Sheldon, and here they are for her darlings out in the world.