CHAPTER IV.
THE BRONZE WOMAN.
THE bronze woman held a brown jar on her head and stood on a rug in Dorothy’s parlor. One night just before bedtime Dorothy sat on the rug and tried to talk to the bronze woman, but she remained very silent, so after awhile Dorothy said “good night” and went with her nurse to bed. When she was alone, all tucked nicely in her little white bed she felt a draft of cold air blow right in her face and at the same time her window opened. There stood the bronze woman on the window-sill with her brown jar on her head looking at Dorothy.
“Where are you going?” asked the child, watching the woman in the moonlight.
“I’m going for water,” was the answer almost in a whisper.
“Can I help you?” asked Dorothy, who was a dear little maid, willing to help everybody.
“No, thank you,” said the bronze woman, “I am used to carrying it, but I’ll give you a ride on my head.”
“How good that would be!” exclaimed Dorothy, and she got into the jar which held her nicely and away she went with the bronze woman.
Her head came up to the top of the jar and she could look up at the stars and moon and wondered if she were going up to them.
But they did not seem to be going towards the sky as they passed along through the air. After awhile it grew so very dark that Dorothy could not see where she was going. However, she was not at all afraid, as she was safe in the brown jar, and enjoyed the queer ride very much. It seemed a very long time to her before it grew light again, but at last it was brighter, and the bronze woman stopped and sat down on the ground.