8. Sew three buttons on left side of back of waist: one at the neck, one in the center, one at the bottom. Make the button-holes on the other side of back of waist.
9. Sew one button at center front of waist, to fasten the lawn petticoat.
[Illustration: Overhand all edges together]
“Scissors Shears, do your best,” whispered Mary Frances, cutting into the muslin for the dolly’s underwaist.
She felt Scissors Shears spring in her fingers.
“And now, not a word until it is finished!”
“What darlings!” she exclaimed, finally, holding up the little underwaist and flannel petticoat.
“Are they finished?” asked Fairy Lady, leaning forward in her rocking chair.
“Yes, all finished! If it hadn’t been for the Needle-of-Don’t-Have-to-Try, I’d have been a week doing them, I’m sure,” said Mary Frances.
“I’ll put them right on Mary Marie,” she added, “she seems so cold.”
“How must it be, How must it be, To be beloved As well as she?”
“You are, dear Sewing Bird,” said Mary Frances. “Oh, dear little Sewing Bird, indeed, you are!”
[Illustration: “Good!” exclaimed Fairy Lady]
“WE’RE not through yet,― There’s the white pet. Let’s not forget―”
“Oh, I know what the white pet is, Sewing Bird,” interrupted Emery Bag. “It’s a white mouse! One of my uncles had a whole side eaten out of him by one of those sweet pets. I won’t forget!”
“Oh, my! oh, me! Let that be wrote, A _mouse_ is not A petticoat!”
“Oh, you simple thing!” exclaimed Emery Bag. “Why didn’t you say ‘petticoat,’ then?”
[Illustration: “One of my uncles had a side eaten out”]
[Illustration: “If that is true Then this will do”]
“If I take time To make a rhyme, A rhyme it then must be: If words won’t rhyme At any time― I cut them short, you see,”
“If that is true Then this will do: To Sewing Bird Any old word Will make a rhyme, If shortened hyme.
“What does ‘hyme’ mean?” cried Sewing Bird.
“I haven’t made up my mind, yet, what it means,” said Emery Bag. “Sewing Bird, you’ve got an awfully swelled head since―”
“Nobody without a heart of steel would dare say such things to Sewing Bird. Isn’t he brave?” whispered Tommy Pin Cushion.
“A Brave’s an Indian. I’m not an Indian!” retorted Emery Bag.
“Ready to fight any one!” said Tommy Pin Cushion.
“Here!” exclaimed Scissors Shears. “Here is some muslin on the table. I’ll cut out the white pet,―petty,―petticoat! That’s parsed now, I guess!”