Her Bed-time

Any or all of these would be indeed de-
lectable, but parting is the same sweet sorrow
at the last as at the first. However, we shall
have one song. And after that a recitation
by King Alfred! The king is the most
diminutive of china dolls dressed in green
velvet. She steadies him on the table by
one leg, and crouches down out of sight
while he goes through his performance.
The Fauntleroy hair and violet eyes are the
eyes and hair of King Alfred, but the voice
is the voice of W. V.

When she has recited and sung I draw her
between my knees and begin: “ There was
once a very naughty little girl, and her name
was W. V.”

“No, father, a good little girl.”

“Well, there was a good little girl, and
her name was Gladys.”

“ No, father, a good little girl called W. V.”

“ Well, a good little girl called W. V.; and
she was ‘quickly obedient’; and when her
father said she was to go to bed, she said:
‘Yes, father,’ and she just fzew, and gave no
trouble.”

« And did her father come up and kiss her?”

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