THE DOLL AND HER FRIENDS. 57

ent medicine; and the young lady who had once
brought Miss Edgeworth to dine with me, charged
me to lie still and read “ Rosamond” till I was quite
recovered. |

Next morning’, as I lay contentedly performing
my new part of an invalid, I heard a confidential
conversation between Margaret and Geoffrey, in
which I was interested.

They were alone together, and she was taking
the opportunity to remonstrate with him on his un-
kind treatment of me.

“What was the harm?” said Geoffrey. “ A
doll is nothing but wood or bran , or some stupid
stuff; it can’t feel.”

« Of course,” answered Margaret, “we all know
that. It is wasteful and mischievous to spoil a
pretty toy; but I am not speaking now so much
for the sake of the doll as of Rose. Rose is not
made of any stupid stuff; she can feel. And what
is more, she can feel for other people as well as her-
self. She would never play you such an ill-natured
trick.” ,

“ 1 should not mind it if she did,” argued Geof-
frey ; “I am not such a baby.”

“You would not mind that particular thing,”
answered Margaret, “ because you do not care about
~ dolls; but you would mind her interfermg with

er