"O, mamma! O, grandma," said Susy, clasping her hands in alarm, "don't let her kiss that soft baby so hard! She'll draw the blood right through her cheeks." The nurse who was a smiling woman, with a wart on her nose, began to frown a little, and grandma Read, patting Prudy's head, whispered to her that if she did not stop crying she must leave the room, as the noise she made disturbed her mother. "Then I'll--I'll be--just as good as a lady, and I won't kiss her no more," replied little Prudy between her sobs, at the same time prying open baby's mouth with her busy fingers. "Why, where's her teef? When you goin' to put in her teef?" "O," said Susy, in an ecstasy, "isn't she such a velvet darling? What cunning little footsie-tootsies! Shaped just like a flatiron! But I haven't seen her eyes yet." "There, look now," said Prudy, puffing in the baby's face; "her eyes has came! I've _blowed_ 'em open." "O, fie, Miss Prudy," said the nurse, biting her lips; "now you'll certainly have to leave the room. It's not safe for you to come near this tiny bit of a baby. Nobody ever knows what you are likely to do next." Little Prudy hung her head in great dismay. "Then, if she goes, I'll have to go too, or there'll be a fuss," sighed Susy, stroking the baby's hair, which was as soft as a mouse's fur. Both children cast a lingering look at the bewitching little figure, so daintily wrapped in a fleecy blanket. Prudy felt tempted to snatch her up and give her a good hugging, but stood in mortal fear of the nurse. There was something awful about Mrs. Fling: Prudy presumed it was the wart on her nose. When the children were outside the door, and grandma had closed it gently, they seated themselves on the upper step of the staircase, and began to talk over this strange affair. "Don't you know what made me cry in there?" said Prudy. "The baby isn't only a _girl_, and that's why I cried." For the moment Prudy fancied she was telling the truth. Susy laughed. "Just to think of our keeping a boy in THIS house, Prudy Parlin!" "O, no! _course_ not!" returned her little sister, quickly; "_we_ wouldn't keep a boy." "You see," argued Susy, "it's boys that fires all the popguns, and whistle in your ears, and frighten you. Why, if this was a brother, we couldn't but just live! What made you cry for a brother, Prudy?" "Poh, I didn't! I wouldn't have him for nothin' in my world! I'm glad God sended a girl, and that's what made me _laugh_." "It seems so queer to think of it Prudy, I don't know what to do with myself, I declare." "Well, I know what _I'm_ goin' to do. I'll give her my red pocket-dress. She's come clear down from God's house, and this is a drefful cold world." Susy knew that little Prudy's heart must be overflowing with sisterly love to the baby, or she would not be willing to give her the pocket-dress.