The next morning when she was ready to start, and James was waiting with the pony-chaise to drive her over to her Aunt's, her Mamma, who was gathering flowers in the conservatory, sent for her to see that she looked nice before starting. Very pretty the little girl looked in her peacock blue dress, her snowy frills, her black-silk stockings, and Oxford shoes.
Her hat was trimmed with ribbon to match her dress, and her feather so artfully intertwined, that she hoped her Mamma would not notice it. It certainly would have passed without observation, but, just as Elsie was tripping away, "Lord Macawley" saw her.
He set up a fiendish scream, and then said, "G-r-r! Gr-r-r! Who stole my feather?" over and over again.
Elsie turned scarlet. Mamma removed and inspected the hat, and, the little girl was promptly packed off to bed, where she was left to shed many tears over her folly for the rest of the day.
Mamma keeps the blue feather, which she shows to her little girl whenever she is inclined to be disobedient or vain. The exhibition usually has a magical effect.
THE SNOW CURE!!
Fiendish Little Boy (to Elderly Gentleman, who has come a cropper for the fourth time in a hundred yards). "'Ere I say, Guvn'or, you're fair, Wallerin' in it this mornin'! H'anyone 'ud think as you'd bin hordered it by your Medical Man!!!"