Janie made a motion to take it, but mamma shook her head, and whispering that it was asleep, she quietly put the room in order and drew down the shades. The doll children were making a great racket, and mamma called to them to run out and play, so baby could sleep. Janie and Miss Dollie followed.
As they passed through the kitchen, Dinah was just finishing a marvelous pie, as large as a silver dollar, and singing “Der’s a good time comin’ by and by.” As she opened the oven door Janie caught a glimpse of a dear little bird roasting, and oh! how good it smelled! A dish of cranberries was cooling in the window, and as Dinah left the room for a moment, Janie couldn’t resist peeping into the ice box. There was a block of real ice, and a pan of milk with cream on the top of it. How she longed to skim it with the little skimmer!
Then she espied a dish of something that looked like custard, which she was about to taste when Dinah’s voice startled her.
“What you a-doin’ in my ice box?”
“I only wanted to know what that was,” said Janie respectfully, for she was a little afraid of Dinah since the leg affair.
“It’s for ice cream, an’ I’se a notion ter let you freeze it. I’se got a heap of work dis mornin’.”
“O Dinah, may I?” and Janie danced a hornpipe then and there and threw her arms around Dinah’s neck.
“You are a dear, and I am sorry I put your leg on wrong. I do wish I could fix it.”