She brought her biggest wax doll, which she had dressed up as a fairy. The doll had a spangled white tulle frock on, and gauzy wings, and a gilt paper crown, sparkling with diamond-dust. She carried a long gilt wand, and was really a beautiful fairy.
A row of seats had been placed for Lady Eliza’s guests, and the fairy was the first to be seated there. Jack Fuller came next, and he brought a funny creature, which his mother had fashioned for him out of a feather bolster. She had tied a string about it to form a head, and this, covered with a pillowcase, had features worked in it with colored embroidery cotton. Then the doll was dressed in a white dress of Mrs. Fuller’s, and a huge frilled sunbonnet adorned its head. Jack came, lugging his somewhat unwieldy guest, and the bolster lady was made to bow politely to Lady Eliza.
“Why! who’s that?” exclaimed Jack, looking with admiration at the wooden Indian.
“That’s Big Chief Saskatchewan,” announced Dick, proudly. “He’s ours. Aunt Nine sent him to us. Isn’t he great?”
“Gorgeous!” assented Jack. “How do you like Betty Bolster?”
“Oh, she’s just lovely,” declared Dolly, kissing Betty’s soft, white cheek. “Set her down there, next to Pinkie’s fairy.” Then the other children began to flock in.
Maddy Lester brought a big Teddy bear, with a huge ribbon tied round his neck, and a bunch of flowers held in his paw. He made profound obeisance to Lady Eliza and her friend, and then he was seated next to Betty Bolster.
Clifford Lester had a fine personage to introduce as his guest. He had taken his father’s clothes-tree, and on the top had fastened a smiling mask and a wig made of curled hair. This he had dressed up in some nondescript garments, and though the strange-looking lady could not sit down, she stood beautifully, and seemed quite worthy of Lady Eliza’s approval.
One boy brought a rocking-horse, and one a ’possum.
Roguish Lily Craig brought a Jack-in-the-box, which she sprang in the very face of Lady Eliza and the Big Chief, without, however, scaring them a mite.
The Punch and Judy, too, created great amusement, and Spencer Nash raised shouts of laughter, when he arrived, proudly carrying a scarecrow from his father’s cornfield.
This scarecrow was of the conventional type, with flapping coat tails, and old, soft felt hat, jammed down over his face.