THE DOLL AND HER FRIENDS. 81

for he thought of the saving and the slaving that his
mother must have gone through to gain them ; but
when she told him how much of them was due to
his little sister’s neatness and industry, and how
easy the work had been when shared between them,
he was as much pleased as Susan herself.

We were all very happy that evening, including
even the humble friends on the shelf; for I sat on my
trunk, and related to the Pen how useful I had been
in teaching Susan to work; and the worthy Pen
stood bolt upright in his inkstand, and confided to
me with honest pride, that Robert had been chosen
to his situation on account of his excellent writing.

Time passed on, and I suppose we all grew older,
as I noticed from time to time various changes that
seemed to proceed from that cause. The baby, for
instance, though still gomg by the name of “ Baby,”
had become a strong able-bodied child, running alone,
and very difficult to keep out of mischief. The most
effectual way of keeping her quiet was to place me
in her hands, when she would sit on the floor nurs-
ing me by the hour together, while her mother and
sister were at work.

Susan was become a tall strong girl, more nota-
ble than ever, and, like Rose before her, she gradu-
ally bestowed less attention on me}; 80 that I was
beginning to feel myself neglected, till on a certain

G