"All the mistakes are owing to the eccentricity of genius," said the doctor, bowing to Mother Hubbard. "Our landlady is what is called 'absent.' Here's a health to our _absent_ friend."
"You'll have to excuse the biscuit," said Mother Hubbard, nervously. "I mixed 'em too tight, and I think the flour's half corn, they look so yellow; it _can't_ be all soda."
"I presume not _all_ soda; some mixture of flour and water. But where are they, ma'am?"
"O, I put them in the cupboard. I thought you'd like crackers better."
"But these are the _mizzerble_ kind, that don't split," said Lady Magnifico, in tragic tones; "I told you so to-day noon."
"Stop a minute, Miss Hubbard; my coffee's too sour," cried the youngest, determined to scowl as hard as Dotty did, if it was a possible thing.
The worried landlady passed the sugar, and the small boarder corrected the _sourness_ of her white tea with three teaspoonfuls, heaping measure.
"My little Toddlekins is eating nothing." said the doctor. "I hope her red cheeks don't indicate fever."
"There's great quantities of sickness just now among children," said Lady Magnifico, crooking her little finger genteelly. "_Nervous Exhaustation_ is going about."
"_Exhaustation_. I am well acquainted with a lady in the first society that had it dreadfully. She called in twenty-five doctors, if my memory _preserves_ me right; and _then_ she like to died."
"You know it for a fact, my lady? I hope it won't come here (or the doctors either). Is it catching, Dr. Moonshine?"
"Well, yes, Mother Hubbard; it's apt to catch fine ladies. Goes hard with 'em, too."
"Ah me, then I'll never dare go out," drawled Lady Magnifico, looking at her rings.
Here Mother Hubbard timidly passed the cake. "White Mountain; but I suspect it's a poor rule."
"A poor rule that don't work both ways, hey? If this was ever white, ma'am, 'twasn't a fast color; faded to a rusty black. And as to it's being a mountain, ma'am, it looks to me like a pretty hollow valley."
"I'm so sorry, doctor! But your little girl dusted my soda over the cat, and that was why the cake didn't rise."
"O, Dr. Moonshine, I see you're making fun of my cooking. And now I'll tell you something more. I got the butter ready, and forgot to put it in, and that's why the cake's so tough."