Miss Bonkowski was not ungrateful for this expression of loyalty, which
she acknowledged with a smile, as she tightened the buckle on the very
high-heeled and coquettish slipper she was rejuvenating, but she
protested, nevertheless, that all this did not alter the fact that the
Angel must be clothed.
"As fer th' dirt," said the energetic Mrs. O'Malligan, on whose ample
lap the Angel was at that moment sitting in smiling friendliness, "sure
an' I'll be afther washin' her handful uv clothes ivery wake, meself,
an' what with them dozens of dresses I'm doin' fer Mrs. Tony's childers
all th' time, it's surely a few she'd be a-givin' me, whin I tell her
about th' darlint, an' me a niver askin' fer nothin' at all, along of
all mine bein' boys. Sure an' I'll be a-beggin' her this very day, I
will, whin I carry me washin' home."
And Mrs. O'Malligan being as good as her word, and Mrs. Tony
successfully interviewed, the good Irish lady returned home in triumph
bearing a large bundle of cast-off garments, and at once summoned the
Tenement to her apartments.
The first arrived ladies were already giving vent to their appreciation
of the Tony generosity when Miss Carew and Miss Bonkowski arrived,
Mary's bony face, in deference to the angelic prejudices now ruling her,
red and smarting from an energetic application of the same soap as
ministered to her room's needs, but beaming with a grim pride as she
bore the radiant Angel, wild with delight at getting out of her narrow
quarters.
Yielding to the popular voice, though not without reluctance, Mary
placed her darling in Mrs. O'Malligan's lap, and the process of
exhibiting and trying on the garments began at once.
For a time her small ladyship yielded graciously, until seeing her
pretty feet bared that the little stockings and half worn shoes might be
fitted, she suddenly cast her eyes about the circle of ladies, and won
by the pretty, dark beauty of young Mrs. Repetto, the Tenement's bride
of a month's standing, imperiously demanded that lady to take the pink
toes to market.
Overcome with having the public attention thus drawn upon her, pretty
Mrs. Repetto in the best Italian-English she could muster, confessed her
inability to either understand or comply, whereupon the baby, bearing no
malice in her present high good-humor, proceeded to take them herself.
"This little pig went to market," the angelic accents declared, while
her ladyship smiled sweetly upon Mrs. Repetto, and Mary Carew
breathlessly motioned for silence with all the pride of a doting
parent.
"This little pig stayed home--" the ladies on the outskirts pressed near
that they too might hear.
"This little pig had bread and cheese," whereupon Mrs. Repetto
recovering, went down on her knees to be nearer the scene of exploit.
"This little pig had none;" the interest now was breathless, and as the
last little pig went squeaking home the ladies nearest fell upon the
darling and covered her with kisses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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