American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-03-16
DOTTIE AND DUMPING.
BY A. E. WILLIAMS.

DOTTIE AND DUMPING.
BY A. E. WILLIAMS.
Dottie is three years old. She has
big blue eyes with the starry spikes left
in" dimples in her checks, and two rows
of pearls in her rosebud mouth. And
then there is Dumping, not an apple or
peach dumping like what your mother
makes, with lots of sugar in, but roly-
poly baby, just like a dumping, as Dottie
SAYS s'cause he's SO round and plump and
sweet" He doesn't enjoy it much being
a baby, and finds it very discouraging
work learning to walk; the minute you
set him up he tumbles over onto his nose
but that is so "little" he does not often
hit it. Most generally he gets anywhere
by rolling, but if any one is after him he
scampers on his hands and toes like a
little spider.
One day the children's papa and man.
ma went away leaving them with auntie.
Dumping was washed and dressed as
good as could be; then it was Dottie's
turn, but she was amusing her dolly and
said, Il amt in a hurry"
"But Dottie cannot play. nor eat her
dinner, till she has been in the bath and
all dressed up clean. " said auntie.
Il will tomorrow, auntie; dess I'm
clean 'nOugh ter-day."
Il am going to take you into the big
bath, Dottie, where you can splash all
you want to; you will like that"
Dottie concluded to go and see. At
first she gave little gasp as the water
came up to her neck, but soon began to
laugh and crow with delight, as she
jumped and tumbled and splashed about,
and was as 10th to get out as she was to
get in.
Pretty soon auntie had caller, so she
left the children to play on the green
lawn behind the house. Dottie had her
dolly and did not pay much attention to
Dumping, so he hollered- Hush,
Dumplin', you'll wake up my baby" she
said, but he wouldn't stop. 4 don't
b'lieve you love me Il bit, to trouble me
So" she continued, having heard her
mother say that to her. 'Pll tell you
what I'll do; I'll do up stairs an frow
somefing out e winnow," SO Dottie climb
ed un the stairs to auntie's room and
looked about for some pretty thing to
drop out the window. A box of buttons
went first, and Dumping scrambled after
them on all tours; next followed the
contents of auntie's work-boX and jewerly-
case, and Dumping gathered whole
harvest of pretty things
Then Dottie caught sight of some rib
bons and laces, and concluded to dress
up; so she put on auntie's white muslin
apron, and her blue sash, and her pink
bow, and her bracelets. and her red break
fast shawl, and her lace hat, and her buff
kids. After much turning and twisting
and fixing she was ready. 81 dess I'll do
down in e parlor and make tall" she
said. 'Oh, what's dat:' and spying
auntie's perfumery bottle on the shelf I'M
der the mirror, she climbed up and reach
ed it. at smells beautiful" she said, pull
ling out the glass stopper, Il put some on
my han'chet." After making handker-
chief, bows and gloves very damp, she
went to the window.
"Dumplin' she called, 'here's some
fling splcn'id. You dot terteep still long
time, 'tause I'm dom to make some tails"
Dumping, busy with the buttons, didn't
care so she trotted down stairs and
knocked at the parlor door, hut hearing
a strange voice within did not wait to be
admitted, but ''desscd she'd do over to
gee Aunt Mary
OF she marched down the street as Dig
nified as could be. Aunt Mary was busily
writing when her little visitor admitted
herself, but she had to lay down her pen
and laugh at the queer figure before her.
"Tm Miss Tarp'nter, and I've tome to
make a tall" it said.
How do you do, Miss Carpenters"
Won't you take the rocking chair?"
Dottie climbed in and arranged her
bracelets and gloves. My mammals
done" she said, $50 l dessed up. Dump
lin wouldn't tome, 'tause, you see, he
tan: walk 'thout pitchin' overn over.
Your chil'en pity well2"
"Quite well, l thank you," said Aunt
Mary.
NV baby's berry sick; s'pOse she's dot
e chicken poX It's too bad" she con
tinued, with solemn look. 81 'spect
she's tryin' now dess I'll have ter do.
Dood Dyer and off she trotted home
again.
Auntics visitor had gone, so Dottie
went into the parlor, but was not very
cordillv received "What is the little
mischief up to. She smells like Il perfum-
cry bottle Oh, you've been in my white
rose and all my nice things"
Hurrying the little culprit upstairs,
auntie found her drawers in sad disorder
and her favorite perfume missing
II didn't touch it, auntie, l only dest
fixed up"
Il should think So" said auntie, a
good deal veNcd. What did you do
with the bottle?"
Il frowed it out e winnow. Dump
Inns dot il"
Auntie went down and found a roguish
little yearling fast asleep in the grass.
Beside him lay fragments of the bottle
smashed on a stone, and among the clover
leaves were scattered the numerous
trinkets. Hastily gathering them up she
took the sleeping baby and laid him ten
der only his little bed
Dotiic took her fiNings" off and laid
them back in the drawer she knew she
had been naughty, so she said:
Il won't do so no more, auntie. | love
Z I Il oil
Bv and by it was bed time, and laying
her tired little head in my lap, she said in
pathetic voice, Il SO seepy | know moth
in what ter do"
Then auntic undressed her and laying
her in the bed beside little brother, asked,
Couldn't Dottie say her little prayer -
The tired mouth tried to frame the
sweet words, "Now | lay me down to
Sleep" but they died on her lips, and the
angels carried her of to dream land
Household,