There were some very elegant silks, satins, velvets, brocades and laces among them, and Lulu was quite lost in admiration. She thought it would be delightful to wear some of them even for the little while a tableau would last, and hoped it would be decided that she should take part in several.
At length, having seen every thing, and being seized with a desire to go on with her work, in which she had become quite interested, she ran back to her own rooms without waiting for the others.
Reaching the open door of the sitting-room, she paused upon the threshold, transfixed with astonishment and dismay. The baby, at the moment sole occupant of the apartment, was seated on the floor tearing up her fairies, while round her lay scattered in wildest confusion, the contents of Lulu’s work-basket, skeins of silk, and worsted tangled together, ribbons and bits of silk, satin and velvet that Lulu had thought to fashion into various dainty little articles, all crumpled and wet, showing this Miss Baby had been putting them in her mouth and trying her pretty new teeth upon them.
Lulu’s first impulse was to spring forward, snatch the fairy out of the baby’s hands, and give the little mischief-maker an angry shake.
But she controlled herself with a great effort, and recalling the sad scenes and bitter repentance of a few weeks ago, refrained from rushing at the child, but moved gently toward her, saying in soft persuasive tones:
“Oh, baby, dear, don’t do so, let sister have that, there’s a darling! Oh, you’ve made sad work! But you didn’t know any better, did you, pretty pet?”
“Oh, Miss Lu! I’se awful sorry! didn’t neber t’ink ob my child doing sech ting!” exclaimed the baby’s nurse, hurrying in from an adjoining room. “I was jes’ lookin’ at de Christmas tings scattered roun’ an’ hyar de chile gets hol’ o’ yo’ work-basket fo’ I sees what she ’bout.”
“You ought to have watched her, Aunt Judy: It was your business to see that she didn’t get into mischief,” returned Lulu in a tone of sorrow and vexation. “All these pretty things are ruined, just ruined? And I’d taken so much pains and trouble to make those fairies for the magic cave,” she went on, taking them up and turning them over in her hands with a despairing sigh.
“Never mind, daughter, there are plenty more pretty things where those came from,” said her father’s voice from the open doorway.
Lulu started, and looked up in surprise. “Papa!” she exclaimed, “I did not know you were there. I did try to be patient with baby.”