"Forty cents out of Maggie's dollar, and ninety-five from Bessie's just make one dollar, thirty-five cents. You have one dollar and twelve cents in your box, which make in all two dollars, forty-seven cents."
Maggie was quite happy when she found they had such a sum, which mamma told them was nearly half of what they wanted for the library.
Grandmamma's carriage now drove to the door, and she came in and asked Mrs. Bradford to go out with her and take the children. Mamma said she could not go herself, for baby was not well, and she did not care to leave her, but the children might go if grandmamma wished. Away they ran to be dressed, full of glee, for shopping with grandmamma was a great pleasure, and they were almost sure to come home richer than they went. They drove to several places, and when the children thought there was anything interesting to be seen, they went into the store with their grandmother. If not, they remained in the carriage, and chatted with the coachman, or watched the people passing in the street.
At last they went to a large store, where Mrs. Stanton and Mrs. Bradford were in the habit of going, and where Maggie and Bessie felt quite at home. There was a good-natured clerk, who was nurse's nephew, and whenever he saw them, he was sure to have an empty box with a picture cover, or a bright-colored piece of paper or ribbon to give them. Here grandmamma bought several things which did not much interest the little girls; but at last she took them to another counter, where she said something to the clerk about gloves.
"Why, grandmamma," said Maggie, "are you going to buy gloves? Do you know you have a whole box full at home? I saw them the other day when you let me put your drawer in order."
But Mrs. Stanton only smiled, and pinched Maggie's round cheek, and just then the gloves were put before them. Oh! such gloves as those were never meant for grandmamma's hand. Kid gloves they were too, and who had ever seen any so small before? In her surprise and pleasure, Maggie had almost forgotten that she had been forbidden to handle anything when she went shopping; but just as her hand touched the gloves, she remembered, and drew it back. But the good-natured clerk gave them to her, telling her to look at them if she pleased.
"Just like ladies' gloves," said Bessie, who, stretching up on tiptoe, could just see above the counter. Grandmamma lifted her and seated her upon it.
"Do you call that a hand?" said she, playfully, taking Bessie's little fingers in her own. "Mr. Jones, have you a pair small enough for that?"
How Bessie wished her hand was larger as the clerk shook his head! But after looking through the whole bundle, a pair was found which grandmamma thought would do, and then a pair for Maggie was picked out with less trouble. They were wrapped in separate parcels, and each child took her own, feeling quite as if she must have grown taller since she came to that counter. Then the clerk gave them each a piece of fancy paper,—Maggie's, gilt, with flowers stamped upon it, Bessie's, blue, with silver stars.