“And even that blessed man never saw dearer, I can assure you.”
Sally’s father motioned to her and moved to let her in beside him. He pulled her close to him with a gentle hug and a kiss upon her ear.
And there, on the hearth, in a round basket, lay Sally’s black cat Mrs. Niminy Piminy, curled comfortably around three very new kittens, whose eyes were tightly closed, but from whose tiny mouths came weak little mewing noises. Mrs. Niminy Piminy looked lazily up at Sally and blinked proudly. Her pink tongue darted out to lick the tiny round head of the orange kitten. The striped gray one rolled over on its back and mewed in astonishment, waving its stubby legs in the air.
“Oh!” cried Sally, and she dropped Elizabeth, who fell with her chin on the edge of the basket, so that she was staring directly into the face of a very,very tiny all-black kitten. One of her soft cotton hands rested gently on the kitten’s small head.
“Oh, look,” cried Sally, “Elizabeth’s chosen that one. It will have to be hers! Oh, Mrs. Niminy Piminy, how beautiful, oh, how beautiful they are!” And she softly stroked the head of her dear old cat, who purred a deep rolling purr that clearly expressed the utmost pride and satisfaction in her new family. The firelight danced on the happy flushed faces clustered in what might have seemed to Mrs. Niminy Piminy a congratulatory garland around her basket. Sally leaned over and hugged Mrs. Niminy Piminy, and then she hugged her again.
Chapter 8 - The Doll
S ally petted and admired the kittens to her heart’s content. Far above her the voices of the grownups murmured, Aunt Tryphone’s rocking chair creaked, and it all mingled with the crackling of the fire till it was hard to distinguish the various sounds from one another.
“Time to go to bed,” said her mother suddenly, but when Sally begged, “Please, just a little longer,” her mother sighed and got up to stir the soup on the stove.
Clink, clink
went the spoon against the iron kettle. Mrs. Perkins took Bub upstairs to bed. The back door opened and let in a great swoosh of cold air as Sally’s father, after ruffling her hair with hisbig hand, went out to “see to the horses.” A feather of snowflakes drifted in through the opened door, lifted, fell, and melted in the warm kitchen before the flakes touched the floor. And after a time, the shadow of Aunt Tryphone’s rocking chair lay quite still on the hearth, for Aunt Tryphone had fallen asleep over her knitting.
So it was that Sally, thoroughly happy, curled up and fell asleep by the fire, one hand still resting on Mrs. Niminy Piminy’s soft fur.
She stirred and sighed when she felt a hand upon her shoulder.
“Sally,” whispered a voice that seemed to be coming from very far away. Then, “Sally,” it said again, closer this time. She opened one eye and smiled sleepily.
She closed the eye again immediately, for it seemed to her that it was Aunt Sarah who was bending over her, shaking her shoulder.
“Come, Sally,” said what was unmistakably the voice of Aunt Sarah. “You’re awake now. Stand up.
Sally opened both eyes this time. Yes, it was indeed Aunt Sarah, looking very cross.
“Why, Mrs. Niminy Piminy,” Sally said in surprise. For a black cat was curled up in the crook of her arm, purring quite happily. “You came withme.” She rubbed her cheek gratefully against the cat’s silky fur.
“Shadow seems to have taken a liking to you,” said Aunt Sarah gruffly.
“Shadow!” cried Sally, and this time she sat up and stared down at Shadow, who blinked up at her in what seemed to be a surprisingly friendly manner. She smiled back at him rather timidly, and then hesitantly reached out and touched the top of his head gently with the tips of her fingers. Shadow purred and rubbed his head against the fingers.
“He likes to be petted under the chin too,” said Aunt Sarah.
Sally gazed at Shadow, who looked very much as if he were waiting
Sally’s father motioned to her and moved to let her in beside him. He pulled her close to him with a gentle hug and a kiss upon her ear.
And there, on the hearth, in a round basket, lay Sally’s black cat Mrs. Niminy Piminy, curled comfortably around three very new kittens, whose eyes were tightly closed, but from whose tiny mouths came weak little mewing noises. Mrs. Niminy Piminy looked lazily up at Sally and blinked proudly. Her pink tongue darted out to lick the tiny round head of the orange kitten. The striped gray one rolled over on its back and mewed in astonishment, waving its stubby legs in the air.
“Oh!” cried Sally, and she dropped Elizabeth, who fell with her chin on the edge of the basket, so that she was staring directly into the face of a very,very tiny all-black kitten. One of her soft cotton hands rested gently on the kitten’s small head.
“Oh, look,” cried Sally, “Elizabeth’s chosen that one. It will have to be hers! Oh, Mrs. Niminy Piminy, how beautiful, oh, how beautiful they are!” And she softly stroked the head of her dear old cat, who purred a deep rolling purr that clearly expressed the utmost pride and satisfaction in her new family. The firelight danced on the happy flushed faces clustered in what might have seemed to Mrs. Niminy Piminy a congratulatory garland around her basket. Sally leaned over and hugged Mrs. Niminy Piminy, and then she hugged her again.
Chapter 8 - The Doll
S ally petted and admired the kittens to her heart’s content. Far above her the voices of the grownups murmured, Aunt Tryphone’s rocking chair creaked, and it all mingled with the crackling of the fire till it was hard to distinguish the various sounds from one another.
“Time to go to bed,” said her mother suddenly, but when Sally begged, “Please, just a little longer,” her mother sighed and got up to stir the soup on the stove.
Clink, clink
went the spoon against the iron kettle. Mrs. Perkins took Bub upstairs to bed. The back door opened and let in a great swoosh of cold air as Sally’s father, after ruffling her hair with hisbig hand, went out to “see to the horses.” A feather of snowflakes drifted in through the opened door, lifted, fell, and melted in the warm kitchen before the flakes touched the floor. And after a time, the shadow of Aunt Tryphone’s rocking chair lay quite still on the hearth, for Aunt Tryphone had fallen asleep over her knitting.
So it was that Sally, thoroughly happy, curled up and fell asleep by the fire, one hand still resting on Mrs. Niminy Piminy’s soft fur.
She stirred and sighed when she felt a hand upon her shoulder.
“Sally,” whispered a voice that seemed to be coming from very far away. Then, “Sally,” it said again, closer this time. She opened one eye and smiled sleepily.
She closed the eye again immediately, for it seemed to her that it was Aunt Sarah who was bending over her, shaking her shoulder.
“Come, Sally,” said what was unmistakably the voice of Aunt Sarah. “You’re awake now. Stand up.
Sally opened both eyes this time. Yes, it was indeed Aunt Sarah, looking very cross.
“Why, Mrs. Niminy Piminy,” Sally said in surprise. For a black cat was curled up in the crook of her arm, purring quite happily. “You came withme.” She rubbed her cheek gratefully against the cat’s silky fur.
“Shadow seems to have taken a liking to you,” said Aunt Sarah gruffly.
“Shadow!” cried Sally, and this time she sat up and stared down at Shadow, who blinked up at her in what seemed to be a surprisingly friendly manner. She smiled back at him rather timidly, and then hesitantly reached out and touched the top of his head gently with the tips of her fingers. Shadow purred and rubbed his head against the fingers.
“He likes to be petted under the chin too,” said Aunt Sarah.
Sally gazed at Shadow, who looked very much as if he were waiting
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