October 1, 2025 • 17 mins
In this enchanting tale, a doll gifted to a young girl on her birthday embarks on a heartfelt journey filled with adventures and missteps, all in a quest to earn the love of her new mother. Join her as she navigates the challenges of acceptance and belonging. - Summary by Emma Hatton
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter two of the Diary of a Birthday Doll by
Ethel Dow. This is a liberyvox recording. All liberryvox recordings
are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
please visit liberyvox dot org. I was just saying nine
hundred and ninety eight million, six hundred and thirty five thousand,
three hundred and thirty three when Mamma Lu walked in
(00:21):
to say good morning, and I had reached nine hundred
and ninety eight million, six hundred and thirty five thousand,
three hundred and seventeen before I could stop. When you
have been counting steadily as I had all night long,
you get to have a tight, wound up sort of feeling,
and it takes a few seconds before you can roll
back and stop. Well, looking back over the day, I
(00:42):
can say that on a whole it went fairly well.
It was interesting. Anyhow. Anne started out beautifully. When Mamma
Lu came in this morning, she rushed to the bed
in which Maud and Gladdie's in me. Oh, dear, there's
my grammar gone wrong. I really must be more careful.
That will never do, in which Maud and Gladdy's and
I made one big armful of us and hugged all
(01:05):
of us together. It is true. Meanwhile, Maud got a
bump from the right side of my head and Glotty's
from the left. Well, I could count a bump from
each chair, but mad and Gladdies were still three quarters
asleep and didn't feel the knock. And I count two bumps,
A very very cheap price for a hug from my
dear mamma, though they were a little painful, I must say,
(01:27):
you DearS, She shouted, I've got such an awfully bad
cold that i can't go to school today. Mama says,
so oh, oh oh, And then she picked me up
out of bed and positively kissed me, just on the nose.
It's through you that I've got to stay home, she
whispered into my ear. That cold water you splashed on
(01:48):
me Sunday gave me a cold, you darling there. I
always thought that my Mama Lou was an angel, and
now I have perfect proof. She has a red swollen
nose through my clumsiness and had to stay away from school.
Think of that, and she's not only forgiving me, but
even calling me darling. She certainly is a oh. I
don't know what to call her sweetness. She kept on
(02:10):
petting me so sweetly. You poor child, you haven't even
gotten a nighty on. I'll fix you all right, though.
I'm going to have a tea party to celebrate, and
I'll dress you in Mad's best blue dress and ribbon. Now,
how will that suit you? Mad won't care, will you?
Maddie and Mad, who is a very sweet tempered didn't
(02:30):
object the least. I believe I like her even better
than Gladdie's, though Glatty's too, is a perfect lady. I
must say that both girls have been very nice to
me so far about clothes. They told me yesterday in
our long talk together that I can count anything they
have as mine until I get fitted out. And they
have never made any of the sighting remarks that lots
(02:52):
of dolls would have made. I'm sure about the miserable
condition in which I entered into their family. Imagine I
hadn't a stitch on my back. Glattie's indeed said once,
but I'm sure it was only a thoughtless remark and
in no way indeed to hurt my feelings, so I
won't repeat it. No, I won't think of it. I won't,
I won't. Well, Mamma Lu took me on her lap
(03:13):
and began to dress me, and I certainly enjoyed myself.
That blue dress of Mad's fitted me perfectly. She has
just my figure. But though it is very handsome, I
didn't like it as much as that sweet little pink
mother Hubbard of Glattie's. I certainly do like a neat
little dress. I had a blue ribbon in my hair too.
Maud was all in white, and Glatty's in pink, my pink.
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It took all morning to wash and dress me. Thank Heavens,
my stomach must have been all right this morning because
Mamma Lu didn't put soap into my eyes to cure it.
Gladdie's said that she and Maud get the medicine only
when Mamma Lu's left footsteps out of bed before her right.
I wanted to know on which side Mamma Lu generally slept,
and Glotti's giggled and Maud looked shocked. I really think
(03:58):
that Glottie's is a little Spitefulsome time, we were just
about dressed when Mamma Lu was called down to dinner.
Now be good, and don't must yourselves, she warned us
before going. I don't want to have to dress you
again for the tea party, and then she laid us
very carefully across the bed. Maud and Gladdie's went to
sleep at once, of course, but I, as always, was
(04:19):
wide awake, very happy and excited. Then I thought of
Teddy all alone in his box, with no pretty blue
dress on and no ribbon in his hair, and I
felt so sorry Teddy. I called Teddy, Teddy, won't you
speak to me. I'm a new child of Mamma Lucy's.
I've been here only three days, and up this morning,
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I've been so miserable. You'd have been sorry for me
if you'd known, Teddy. If you want me to, I'll
tell you all about it. Oh, I wish you'd answer.
We are all going to have a tea party this afternoon.
I wish you were invited, Teddy. Can you answer? Teddy?
Do you hear me? Oh? You are the most provoking.
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And I just made up my mind then in there
that I wouldn't bother any more about him until he
began to talk to me. He needn't have been so stiff,
Mamma Lou came running up very soon to arrange the
table in chairs to prepare the tea. I was so
glad that I wasn't a sleeper, because I expected to
have heaps of fun watching her get things ready. I'm
(05:22):
having such a good time, she said, running over to us.
I just wish that I had a cold every day.
I was so rather glad then that Gladdie's and Maud
were asleep and couldn't hear her. Because of course, she
didn't really mean what she said. It's bad enough to
have to miss school for one day. Indeed, I'm quite
sure she was just pretending so that I shouldn't feel
too sorry that I had given her the cold. Dear
(05:44):
Mamma Lou, one whole banana, I've got for hash, and
fourteen white grapes to make the grape tea with, and
half of a great big orange in six five o'clock teas,
and four nibiscos. My Mamma clapped her fat little hands
with joy. Now aren't we going to have a glorious time?
I guess I'll make the tea first, And she sat
(06:05):
down on a little rocking chair next to the bed
and began to squeeze great big hothouse grape into a
beautiful little porcelain pitcher painted all over with violets. Then
I could hardly believe my eyes at first, and thought
that I was seeing queer things because of that accident
before I was complete. But I saw only too well.
And oh how Grandma Ellis would have felt if she
(06:27):
had been there, for it is such an unladylike, greedy
thing for a little girl to do. Why then, Mamma
lu actually chewed the skins. I was very sorry. I
hadn't expected it of her. Somehow it took away a
bit of the pleasure of the tea party. After the
grape tea, my Mama made banana hash, and very nicely,
indeed did she make it, chopping it into little squares,
(06:49):
mashing it into paste, moistening it with milk from another
sweet violet pitcher, and sprinkling cinnamon and sugar all over it.
Tell I'm sure it must have had a splendid taste.
I didn't eat any of it. She mashed her finger
only once too during all that time, and then she
didn't cry either. Oh, my Mamma's all right. Indeed she is.
In about twenty minutes. We're sitting around the tea table,
(07:12):
Mamma Lou in her little rocking chair at the head,
and mad and Gladdy's and I in little high backed chairs. Now,
wasn't it nice, nurse, said Mamma Lou to give us
so much for a tea party. If Mamma had been home,
I couldn't have had a banana. I'm certain sure I couldn't. Now,
if you all behave yourselves, we'll have a real good time.
I do hope nurse forgets about my cough medicine. It's
(07:34):
such nasty stuff, and I've got to drink a whole bottleful.
She screwed up her little face and ragged her red
tongue up and down, and then cried, oh my, that's
not matters, and this is going to be a real
elegant tea party. Mod and Gladdie's you are the ladies,
and Dolly's my little girl. Now, Dolly, don't forget that
children must be seen and not hurt. Miss Maud, won't
(07:56):
you have some grape tea? This is simply fine. I'm
sure you'll like it if only you try it. That's right,
Just help yourself. And with that Mamma Lou swallowed a
great cupful of tea. Uncle Harry gave her the dishes.
Maude told me it's a good thing that we dolls
never have an appetite, for we certainly didn't get anything
to eat at the tea party. It was like this
(08:18):
all afternoon. Now, Miss Gladdie's, you mustn't say no. That
banana hash is very good. Yes, I can't complain of
my cook here. Let me put some on your plate.
And Mamma Lou would put a heaping teaspoon on her
own plate and then pop it into her own little
anxious mouth. Or Dolly, you may have an nobisco. Here
it is, and Mama Lou would reach over for a
(08:39):
n nobisco. Now, don't eat it too quickly. Bite one,
don't sprinkle crumbs all over your dress. Bite two. Do
you have much trouble in keeping your children clean? Miss Maud?
Bite three? However do you manage with help? Bite four?
And so on till the nibisco was safely down Once
I mustn't forget. Mamma Lou forced a crumb of biscuit
(09:00):
between Maud's lips. Maud always had her mouth open. It's
very unhealthful and poked it down with a pin, and
Maud whispered to me just an hour ago while Mamma
Lou was undressing her for bed, that it had reached
her throat and was tickling her dreadfully. Another time, Mamma
Lou insisted on reaching a spoonful of tea over to Glattie's,
and I was so afraid that it would be spilled
(09:21):
over the pretty pink dress that she wore. I couldn't
help but crying out, Glatti's, Gladys, please be careful of
my dress. Your dress indeed, snapped Gladdie. Since when I'd
like to know, but she felt pretty much ashamed of
herself when she caught Maud's eye upon her mad is
so very refined. I couldn't help feeling embarrassed, too, for
(09:42):
it really was not polite of me to call across
the table so excitedly. Of course, I had never had
any experience before at tea parties and didn't know just
how to behave. By the time that only one cup
of grape tea, three five o'clocks, and two nubiscuits were
left on the table, Mamma Lou was looking rather uncomfortable,
and I was getting rather bored, not so much fun
(10:03):
at the tea party. I was thinking I expected games
and such things. I wish something would happen. And then
when I was three quarters through my yawn, nurse came
in with a great bottle of cough medicine. Now you've
got to take it. You can't get out of it.
No nonsense, now, miss Lou, or I'll tell your mamma,
she said, and held out a spoonful to Mamma Lou. Really,
(10:24):
my mamma was naughty just then, instead of quietly swallowing
the stuff and even licking the corners of her lips
afterward to be sure not to lose a drop, and
then saying thank you ever so much, dear nurse. It
was so kind of you to think of me, and
I do hope that my cold will be better tomorrow,
as I'm sure other little girls do. She jumped up
from her chair and raced around the room, crying, I
(10:46):
won't take it. No, I won't, I won't. It's mean
of you to come and spoil my tea party. Go
and take it yourself. I won't. So there, well, Mamma
lou Man and Glad's looked at me, and I looked
at Glad's and maud Well, Mamma Lou, I never It
was all over in a few minutes. Of course, nurse
caught her and made her swallow it, and she was
(11:08):
far more patient with Mamma Lou than Mamma Lou would
have been with me if I had been so naughty.
When she left the room, there was silence for a
few minutes while Mamma Lou sulked in a chair, and
we three dolls just sat and looked at her. You've
had too much tea party. I thought that banana hash
has put you in a bad temper. Please don't eat
banana hash any more, Mamma Lou. She must have known
(11:28):
that I was thinking of her, for suddenly she looked
straight into my eyes. Was that a cough I hear?
She asked, very severely. Dolly, you're getting copy. She carried
me over to the couch next to the window and
set me up against the cushions. Oh, how you are
frightening me, she said. But I suppose it's nothing but
too much tea party. This to me, and I hadn't
(11:48):
had a bite. I was surprised at the way you
gobbled that banana hash, but I didn't want to say
anything before company. That's what you get for being greedy, Dolly.
I expected better things from you. Now, you'll take your
cop medicine like a lady, Like a lady, Dolly, without
a word. The nurse had forgotten to take the cough
syrup out with her, and Mama Luke got a large
(12:09):
glass cup and half filled it from the bottle. I'm
giving you my own very cough medicine, so you must
try to get well as soon as you can, she said,
kneeling down beside me. Wait, I'll tie a napkin around
you to be sure that you don't dirty your dress. Now,
don't sputter when I give it to you. Ah, what
an awful croak. That last cough was an awful croak.
(12:32):
I could no more make a sound that her eyes
were delicate enough to hear, than she could fly. I
certainly do not understand my mama sometimes, and once in
a while she makes me angry. She poured the bitter
stuff over the right corner of my chin, because my
mouth is always tightly closed, and not a drop could
get in until it dripped down, down over the napkin
(12:54):
on my dress and on the cushions, and I knew
that the skin on the right side of my chin
would be ruined, and that nurse would scold her for
soiling the couch. She really is careless. Then she stood up,
shook a finger at me. I do not think that
fingers were meant to be shaken, and said, warningly, now
keep very quiet and don't get excited. And when my
(13:16):
companies go home, I'll undress you and put you to
bed all alone on the couch. I had to watch
her laughing and acting grown up with Gladdy's in mad
and I just couldn't keep myself from complaining, why oh
why does she just choose me to have a cough.
I'm perfectly healthy. I wonder if she'll ever lock me
up as she did Teddy Bear, poor Teddy Bear. But
(13:37):
I don't think that he can be more miserable than
I was then. And worst of all, I felt myself
getting dreadfully angry at my mama. All at once. I
heard a few cheap cheeps outside the window. Now, who's that?
I thought, very much excited? Can that be ted? Of
course not. His voice would be deeper, and how could
he get outside. I do hope that nobody will see me.
(13:59):
I'm so glad the cushions hid me. Who knows what
opinion people would have of me if they saw that
Mary crowd over there and me here all alone. Jeep
jeep went the sounds again, swelling into dust. Oh it
must be the sparrows that Mad was telling me about.
I thought, well, isn't that lovely. I'll be able to
hear every word. And Maud says that their conversation is
(14:20):
so interesting. I had forgotten all my troubles and was
awfully excited. I certainly do like the excitement. They haven't
been there since the friday before I came, and I
was so afraid that I never meet them. Oh, but
I listened carefully. There she is, said a young voice.
They were mother and son. Maud told me, there's the
dear little girl that warmed up her stomachs with her
(14:42):
own nice, hot, burned toast two weeks ago when we
were making a very very light and chilly breakfast of snow.
She is a dear answered an older voice. See how
she's laughing now, son, I'm sure she never has a
sulky moment. You should have seen her fifteen minutes ago.
I thought, what is she eating? When on the first
it looks good. If she knew that we were here,
(15:03):
she'd surely give us some, said the second, What see?
I thought, I'm not sure of that, dear me, But
I was angry at Mamma Lou. Still, I hardly think
it would be fair to take it away from her.
But I'm hungry, whimpered the younger voice. And it's so
hard to live after the autumn. I wished we'd get
in the habit of going down south for the winter.
(15:24):
All our relatives do. Now, don't grumble. If you really
want something to eat, I'll try to retract her attention.
You can help me and cheap cheap, they piped together
in a strong duet. I peeped over at the tea table.
Just one nbisco and a five o'clock tea were left.
Mama Lou was just lifting the five o'clock tea for
(15:44):
a little nibble when she heard the cheeps and looked
towards the window. It's those poor birds again, she cried,
and jumped from her chair in a flash. Maybe they're hungry.
Shall I give them our five o'clock tea? Motty? But
we want an nabisco for ourselves, don't we? And her
face got red. Oh I'm a greedy, selfish thing, she cried,
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you poor little birdies. She opened the window very softly
so as not to frighten the sparrows, crumpled biscuits on
the sill, and just so softly closed the window. Then
she tiptoed with gladdies and maud over to the end
of the room. They'll like their tea party much better
if no one's watching them eat, She whispered. I wish
I had some banana hash left. I'm sure they'd have
(16:26):
enjoyed that shit. Dolly, Now, don't cough. I'll bring you
over here too, But you're so smudgy that I don't
like to touch you. You're always smudgy. No, my mama
does not love me. Oh if only I were a bird.
She is always blaming me and scolding me for nothing,
and has no consideration for my feelings. I don't think
(16:47):
it's fair, But anyhow, at that moment, when I heard
the sharp little pecks of the sparrow's beak at the
delicious crumbs, and the fluttering of their wings against the panes,
I loved and felt very proud of my mama Loo
end of chapter two,
Chapter two of the Diary of a Birthday Doll by
Ethel Dow. This is a liberyvox recording. All liberryvox recordings
are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
please visit liberyvox dot org. I was just saying nine
hundred and ninety eight million, six hundred and thirty five thousand,
three hundred and thirty three when Mamma Lu walked in
(00:21):
to say good morning, and I had reached nine hundred
and ninety eight million, six hundred and thirty five thousand,
three hundred and seventeen before I could stop. When you
have been counting steadily as I had all night long,
you get to have a tight, wound up sort of feeling,
and it takes a few seconds before you can roll
back and stop. Well, looking back over the day, I
(00:42):
can say that on a whole it went fairly well.
It was interesting. Anyhow. Anne started out beautifully. When Mamma
Lu came in this morning, she rushed to the bed
in which Maud and Gladdie's in me. Oh, dear, there's
my grammar gone wrong. I really must be more careful.
That will never do, in which Maud and Gladdy's and
I made one big armful of us and hugged all
(01:05):
of us together. It is true. Meanwhile, Maud got a
bump from the right side of my head and Glotty's
from the left. Well, I could count a bump from
each chair, but mad and Gladdies were still three quarters
asleep and didn't feel the knock. And I count two bumps,
A very very cheap price for a hug from my
dear mamma, though they were a little painful, I must say,
(01:27):
you DearS, She shouted, I've got such an awfully bad
cold that i can't go to school today. Mama says,
so oh, oh oh, And then she picked me up
out of bed and positively kissed me, just on the nose.
It's through you that I've got to stay home, she
whispered into my ear. That cold water you splashed on
(01:48):
me Sunday gave me a cold, you darling there. I
always thought that my Mama Lou was an angel, and
now I have perfect proof. She has a red swollen
nose through my clumsiness and had to stay away from school.
Think of that, and she's not only forgiving me, but
even calling me darling. She certainly is a oh. I
don't know what to call her sweetness. She kept on
(02:10):
petting me so sweetly. You poor child, you haven't even
gotten a nighty on. I'll fix you all right, though.
I'm going to have a tea party to celebrate, and
I'll dress you in Mad's best blue dress and ribbon. Now,
how will that suit you? Mad won't care, will you?
Maddie and Mad, who is a very sweet tempered didn't
(02:30):
object the least. I believe I like her even better
than Gladdie's, though Glatty's too, is a perfect lady. I
must say that both girls have been very nice to
me so far about clothes. They told me yesterday in
our long talk together that I can count anything they
have as mine until I get fitted out. And they
have never made any of the sighting remarks that lots
(02:52):
of dolls would have made. I'm sure about the miserable
condition in which I entered into their family. Imagine I
hadn't a stitch on my back. Glattie's indeed said once,
but I'm sure it was only a thoughtless remark and
in no way indeed to hurt my feelings, so I
won't repeat it. No, I won't think of it. I won't,
I won't. Well, Mamma Lu took me on her lap
(03:13):
and began to dress me, and I certainly enjoyed myself.
That blue dress of Mad's fitted me perfectly. She has
just my figure. But though it is very handsome, I
didn't like it as much as that sweet little pink
mother Hubbard of Glattie's. I certainly do like a neat
little dress. I had a blue ribbon in my hair too.
Maud was all in white, and Glatty's in pink, my pink.
(03:36):
It took all morning to wash and dress me. Thank Heavens,
my stomach must have been all right this morning because
Mamma Lu didn't put soap into my eyes to cure it.
Gladdie's said that she and Maud get the medicine only
when Mamma Lu's left footsteps out of bed before her right.
I wanted to know on which side Mamma Lu generally slept,
and Glotti's giggled and Maud looked shocked. I really think
(03:58):
that Glottie's is a little Spitefulsome time, we were just
about dressed when Mamma Lu was called down to dinner.
Now be good, and don't must yourselves, she warned us
before going. I don't want to have to dress you
again for the tea party, and then she laid us
very carefully across the bed. Maud and Gladdie's went to
sleep at once, of course, but I, as always, was
(04:19):
wide awake, very happy and excited. Then I thought of
Teddy all alone in his box, with no pretty blue
dress on and no ribbon in his hair, and I
felt so sorry Teddy. I called Teddy, Teddy, won't you
speak to me. I'm a new child of Mamma Lucy's.
I've been here only three days, and up this morning,
(04:41):
I've been so miserable. You'd have been sorry for me
if you'd known, Teddy. If you want me to, I'll
tell you all about it. Oh, I wish you'd answer.
We are all going to have a tea party this afternoon.
I wish you were invited, Teddy. Can you answer? Teddy?
Do you hear me? Oh? You are the most provoking.
(05:01):
And I just made up my mind then in there
that I wouldn't bother any more about him until he
began to talk to me. He needn't have been so stiff,
Mamma Lou came running up very soon to arrange the
table in chairs to prepare the tea. I was so
glad that I wasn't a sleeper, because I expected to
have heaps of fun watching her get things ready. I'm
(05:22):
having such a good time, she said, running over to us.
I just wish that I had a cold every day.
I was so rather glad then that Gladdie's and Maud
were asleep and couldn't hear her. Because of course, she
didn't really mean what she said. It's bad enough to
have to miss school for one day. Indeed, I'm quite
sure she was just pretending so that I shouldn't feel
too sorry that I had given her the cold. Dear
(05:44):
Mamma Lou, one whole banana, I've got for hash, and
fourteen white grapes to make the grape tea with, and
half of a great big orange in six five o'clock teas,
and four nibiscos. My Mamma clapped her fat little hands
with joy. Now aren't we going to have a glorious time?
I guess I'll make the tea first, And she sat
(06:05):
down on a little rocking chair next to the bed
and began to squeeze great big hothouse grape into a
beautiful little porcelain pitcher painted all over with violets. Then
I could hardly believe my eyes at first, and thought
that I was seeing queer things because of that accident
before I was complete. But I saw only too well.
And oh how Grandma Ellis would have felt if she
(06:27):
had been there, for it is such an unladylike, greedy
thing for a little girl to do. Why then, Mamma
lu actually chewed the skins. I was very sorry. I
hadn't expected it of her. Somehow it took away a
bit of the pleasure of the tea party. After the
grape tea, my Mama made banana hash, and very nicely,
indeed did she make it, chopping it into little squares,
(06:49):
mashing it into paste, moistening it with milk from another
sweet violet pitcher, and sprinkling cinnamon and sugar all over it.
Tell I'm sure it must have had a splendid taste.
I didn't eat any of it. She mashed her finger
only once too during all that time, and then she
didn't cry either. Oh, my Mamma's all right. Indeed she is.
In about twenty minutes. We're sitting around the tea table,
(07:12):
Mamma Lou in her little rocking chair at the head,
and mad and Gladdy's and I in little high backed chairs. Now,
wasn't it nice, nurse, said Mamma Lou to give us
so much for a tea party. If Mamma had been home,
I couldn't have had a banana. I'm certain sure I couldn't. Now,
if you all behave yourselves, we'll have a real good time.
I do hope nurse forgets about my cough medicine. It's
(07:34):
such nasty stuff, and I've got to drink a whole bottleful.
She screwed up her little face and ragged her red
tongue up and down, and then cried, oh my, that's
not matters, and this is going to be a real
elegant tea party. Mod and Gladdie's you are the ladies,
and Dolly's my little girl. Now, Dolly, don't forget that
children must be seen and not hurt. Miss Maud, won't
(07:56):
you have some grape tea? This is simply fine. I'm
sure you'll like it if only you try it. That's right,
Just help yourself. And with that Mamma Lou swallowed a
great cupful of tea. Uncle Harry gave her the dishes.
Maude told me it's a good thing that we dolls
never have an appetite, for we certainly didn't get anything
to eat at the tea party. It was like this
(08:18):
all afternoon. Now, Miss Gladdie's, you mustn't say no. That
banana hash is very good. Yes, I can't complain of
my cook here. Let me put some on your plate.
And Mamma Lou would put a heaping teaspoon on her
own plate and then pop it into her own little
anxious mouth. Or Dolly, you may have an nobisco. Here
it is, and Mama Lou would reach over for a
(08:39):
n nobisco. Now, don't eat it too quickly. Bite one,
don't sprinkle crumbs all over your dress. Bite two. Do
you have much trouble in keeping your children clean? Miss Maud?
Bite three? However do you manage with help? Bite four?
And so on till the nibisco was safely down Once
I mustn't forget. Mamma Lou forced a crumb of biscuit
(09:00):
between Maud's lips. Maud always had her mouth open. It's
very unhealthful and poked it down with a pin, and
Maud whispered to me just an hour ago while Mamma
Lou was undressing her for bed, that it had reached
her throat and was tickling her dreadfully. Another time, Mamma
Lou insisted on reaching a spoonful of tea over to Glattie's,
and I was so afraid that it would be spilled
(09:21):
over the pretty pink dress that she wore. I couldn't
help but crying out, Glatti's, Gladys, please be careful of
my dress. Your dress indeed, snapped Gladdie. Since when I'd
like to know, but she felt pretty much ashamed of
herself when she caught Maud's eye upon her mad is
so very refined. I couldn't help feeling embarrassed, too, for
(09:42):
it really was not polite of me to call across
the table so excitedly. Of course, I had never had
any experience before at tea parties and didn't know just
how to behave. By the time that only one cup
of grape tea, three five o'clocks, and two nubiscuits were
left on the table, Mamma Lou was looking rather uncomfortable,
and I was getting rather bored, not so much fun
(10:03):
at the tea party. I was thinking I expected games
and such things. I wish something would happen. And then
when I was three quarters through my yawn, nurse came
in with a great bottle of cough medicine. Now you've
got to take it. You can't get out of it.
No nonsense, now, miss Lou, or I'll tell your mamma,
she said, and held out a spoonful to Mamma Lou. Really,
(10:24):
my mamma was naughty just then, instead of quietly swallowing
the stuff and even licking the corners of her lips
afterward to be sure not to lose a drop, and
then saying thank you ever so much, dear nurse. It
was so kind of you to think of me, and
I do hope that my cold will be better tomorrow,
as I'm sure other little girls do. She jumped up
from her chair and raced around the room, crying, I
(10:46):
won't take it. No, I won't, I won't. It's mean
of you to come and spoil my tea party. Go
and take it yourself. I won't. So there, well, Mamma
lou Man and Glad's looked at me, and I looked
at Glad's and maud Well, Mamma Lou, I never It
was all over in a few minutes. Of course, nurse
caught her and made her swallow it, and she was
(11:08):
far more patient with Mamma Lou than Mamma Lou would
have been with me if I had been so naughty.
When she left the room, there was silence for a
few minutes while Mamma Lou sulked in a chair, and
we three dolls just sat and looked at her. You've
had too much tea party. I thought that banana hash
has put you in a bad temper. Please don't eat
banana hash any more, Mamma Lou. She must have known
(11:28):
that I was thinking of her, for suddenly she looked
straight into my eyes. Was that a cough I hear?
She asked, very severely. Dolly, you're getting copy. She carried
me over to the couch next to the window and
set me up against the cushions. Oh, how you are
frightening me, she said. But I suppose it's nothing but
too much tea party. This to me, and I hadn't
(11:48):
had a bite. I was surprised at the way you
gobbled that banana hash, but I didn't want to say
anything before company. That's what you get for being greedy, Dolly.
I expected better things from you. Now, you'll take your
cop medicine like a lady, Like a lady, Dolly, without
a word. The nurse had forgotten to take the cough
syrup out with her, and Mama Luke got a large
(12:09):
glass cup and half filled it from the bottle. I'm
giving you my own very cough medicine, so you must
try to get well as soon as you can, she said,
kneeling down beside me. Wait, I'll tie a napkin around
you to be sure that you don't dirty your dress. Now,
don't sputter when I give it to you. Ah, what
an awful croak. That last cough was an awful croak.
(12:32):
I could no more make a sound that her eyes
were delicate enough to hear, than she could fly. I
certainly do not understand my mama sometimes, and once in
a while she makes me angry. She poured the bitter
stuff over the right corner of my chin, because my
mouth is always tightly closed, and not a drop could
get in until it dripped down, down over the napkin
(12:54):
on my dress and on the cushions, and I knew
that the skin on the right side of my chin
would be ruined, and that nurse would scold her for
soiling the couch. She really is careless. Then she stood up,
shook a finger at me. I do not think that
fingers were meant to be shaken, and said, warningly, now
keep very quiet and don't get excited. And when my
(13:16):
companies go home, I'll undress you and put you to
bed all alone on the couch. I had to watch
her laughing and acting grown up with Gladdy's in mad
and I just couldn't keep myself from complaining, why oh
why does she just choose me to have a cough.
I'm perfectly healthy. I wonder if she'll ever lock me
up as she did Teddy Bear, poor Teddy Bear. But
(13:37):
I don't think that he can be more miserable than
I was then. And worst of all, I felt myself
getting dreadfully angry at my mama. All at once. I
heard a few cheap cheeps outside the window. Now, who's that?
I thought, very much excited? Can that be ted? Of
course not. His voice would be deeper, and how could
he get outside. I do hope that nobody will see me.
(13:59):
I'm so glad the cushions hid me. Who knows what
opinion people would have of me if they saw that
Mary crowd over there and me here all alone. Jeep
jeep went the sounds again, swelling into dust. Oh it
must be the sparrows that Mad was telling me about.
I thought, well, isn't that lovely. I'll be able to
hear every word. And Maud says that their conversation is
(14:20):
so interesting. I had forgotten all my troubles and was
awfully excited. I certainly do like the excitement. They haven't
been there since the friday before I came, and I
was so afraid that I never meet them. Oh, but
I listened carefully. There she is, said a young voice.
They were mother and son. Maud told me, there's the
dear little girl that warmed up her stomachs with her
(14:42):
own nice, hot, burned toast two weeks ago when we
were making a very very light and chilly breakfast of snow.
She is a dear answered an older voice. See how
she's laughing now, son, I'm sure she never has a
sulky moment. You should have seen her fifteen minutes ago.
I thought, what is she eating? When on the first
it looks good. If she knew that we were here,
(15:03):
she'd surely give us some, said the second, What see?
I thought, I'm not sure of that, dear me, But
I was angry at Mamma Lou. Still, I hardly think
it would be fair to take it away from her.
But I'm hungry, whimpered the younger voice. And it's so
hard to live after the autumn. I wished we'd get
in the habit of going down south for the winter.
(15:24):
All our relatives do. Now, don't grumble. If you really
want something to eat, I'll try to retract her attention.
You can help me and cheap cheap, they piped together
in a strong duet. I peeped over at the tea table.
Just one nbisco and a five o'clock tea were left.
Mama Lou was just lifting the five o'clock tea for
(15:44):
a little nibble when she heard the cheeps and looked
towards the window. It's those poor birds again, she cried,
and jumped from her chair in a flash. Maybe they're hungry.
Shall I give them our five o'clock tea? Motty? But
we want an nabisco for ourselves, don't we? And her
face got red. Oh I'm a greedy, selfish thing, she cried,
(16:04):
you poor little birdies. She opened the window very softly
so as not to frighten the sparrows, crumpled biscuits on
the sill, and just so softly closed the window. Then
she tiptoed with gladdies and maud over to the end
of the room. They'll like their tea party much better
if no one's watching them eat, She whispered. I wish
I had some banana hash left. I'm sure they'd have
(16:26):
enjoyed that shit. Dolly, Now, don't cough. I'll bring you
over here too, But you're so smudgy that I don't
like to touch you. You're always smudgy. No, my mama
does not love me. Oh if only I were a bird.
She is always blaming me and scolding me for nothing,
and has no consideration for my feelings. I don't think
(16:47):
it's fair, But anyhow, at that moment, when I heard
the sharp little pecks of the sparrow's beak at the
delicious crumbs, and the fluttering of their wings against the panes,
I loved and felt very proud of my mama Loo
end of chapter two,
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