"And what is yours to be, Bessie?"
"Margayet Colonel Hoyace Yush Byadford," said Bessie, trying very hard to pronounce her r's.
The boys shouted and even the grown people laughed.
"That is a regular boy's name,—all except the Margaret," said Fred, "and the Colonel is no name at all."
"It is," said Bessie,—"it is my own dear soldier's, and it is going to be my dolly's. You're bad to laugh at it, Fred."
"Do not be vexed, my little girl," said her father. "Colonel is not a name; it is only a title given to a man because he commands a regiment of soldiers. Now young ladies do not command regiments, and Horace is a man's name. You may call your doll what you please, but suppose you were to name her Horatia; would not that sound better?"
But Bessie held fast to the Horace; it was her soldier's name, and she was quite determined to give her doll the same.
After breakfast, Mrs. Bradford called Maggie up stairs for a while. "Maggie, dear," she said, when she had taken the little girl up into her lap, "have you remembered this morning that our Father in heaven has brought you to the beginning of another year of your life?"
"Oh, yes, mamma," said Maggie; "I have done nothing but think it was my birthday ever since I woke up. You know I could not forget it when every one was so kind and gave me such lots and lots of lovely things."