Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-03-21
DOTTIE AND DUMPING.
by A. T.. 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 ike dumping, rs Dottie
says, cause he's so round and plump and
sweet" He doesn't enjoy it much being
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
little spider.
One day the children's papa and mann
ma went away leaving them with auntle,
Dumping was washed and dressed as
good as could be; then it was Dottie's
turn, but she was amusing her dolly and
said, II amt in a hurry"
"But Dottic cannot play, nor eat her
dinner, till she has been in the bath and
all dressed up clean, " said auntic.
81 will tomorrow, auntie; dcss I'm
clean 'nouEh ter-day,"
81 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 rs the water
came up TO her neck, but soon began to
laugh and crow with delight, IA she
jumped and tumbcd and splashed about.
and was as 10th to get out NJ she was to
get in.
Pretty soon aunte had caller, so rho
left the children 10 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. 81 don't
| b'lieve you love me bit, to trouble me
| So" she continued, having heard her
| mother say that to her ON tell you
what III do; I'll do up stairs an frow
somefing out e winnow, +" SO Dottie climb
ed up the stairs To aunties 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 fours; next followed the
contents of auntic's work box and jewcrly-
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 datY' and spying
| auntie's perfumery bottle on the shelf un-
| der the mirror, she climbed up and reach
ed it. at smells beautiful" she said, pull
ling out the glass stopper, ~ put some on
my han 'chet." After making bandker-
chief bows and gloves very damp, she
went TO the window.
| "Dumplin she called, "hcre's some
] fng splen'id. You dot ter teep still long
| time, 'tausc 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
| n strange voice within did not wait to be
admitted, but blessed she'd do over TO
see Aunt Mary
! OF she marched down the street as dig
nifed as could be. Aunt Mary was busily
writing when her little visitor admitted
herself, but she had to lay down her pen
and laugh nj the queer figure before her.
"I'm Miss Tarpnter, and I've tome TO
make tall" 1t said.
"How do you do, Miss Carpenter"
/ Won't you take the rocking chair?'
Dottie climbed in and arranged her
/ bracelets and gloves. My mammals
1 done" she said, 80 d'essed up. Dump.
/ lin wouldn't tome, 'tause, you see, he
! tan: walk 'thout pitchin' ovcrn over.
| Your chil'en pity welY"
"Qute well, thank you," said Aunt
Mary.
MY baby's berry sick; s'posc 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.
I Dood byew and off she trotted home
! again.
/ Aunties visitor had gone, SO Dottie
went into the parlor, but was not very
cordilly received. "What Is the little
mischief up to? She smells like 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, ! only dest
fixed up"
II should think so,' said auntie, a
good deal yexcd. what did you do
with the bother"
II frowed it out e winnow. Dump
| Inns dot it,"
Auntie went down and found a roguish
little yearling fast asleep in the grass.
Beside him lay fragments Of the bottle
smashed on stone, and among the clover
leaves were scattered the numerous
trinkcts Hastily gathering them up she
took the sleeping baby and laid him ten
der only his little bed.
Dottie took her "fixings" of and laid
them back in the drawer she knew she
had been naughty, 80 she said: