"My dear child, are you crazy? Why, I should not think of doing such a thing!"
"Of course you wouldn't, because you don't know how; but I'll do it now, and teach you some other time."
"Yes, yes," put in both Florence and Mattie; "your hair will be lovely crimped, and _so_ becoming; do let her!"
"But I am afraid you'll make me look ridiculous, Marion," said Miss Christine, in a deprecating tone; "and perhaps you will burn it."
"Indeed I won't; _your_ hair shan't suffer the way poor Meg's did in 'Little Women,' for I'll do it over a hot slate-pencil, and that _never_ burnt mine."
"You don't mean to say you want to friz my hair up the way yours is!"
"No, indeed; I'll take more hair, and that will do it in large, soft waves. Now you'll see how lovely I'll make it look;" and Marion already had the pencil in the gas, and in a moment more was twisting over it a lock of Miss Christine's hair. "Now for the other side; then I'll comb it out, and it will be perfectly stunning!"
"Marion, what an expression!" said Miss Christine, as she sat in momentary expectation of having her hair singed off her head, or her forehead blistered. "I wish you would correct yourself of the habit of using slang words."
"Well, it is certainly a very mild form."
"Mild or not, it is extremely unladylike, and I hope you will get over the habit soon, or it will become fixed upon you."
"Well, I'll try," said Marion, taking a hair-pin out of her mouth; "but it will almost kill me. Stunning, and scrumptious, and jolly, and lots of those things, express so much more than any old, prim, stuck-up words. There! I suppose that's slang too! Well, never mind now, Miss Christine; when I come back after Christmas vacation, I'm going to be 'Miss Piety promoted;' see if I'm not! Now look at yourself."
"Why, Marion, haven't you crimped my hair a _little_ too much?"
"You look just as sweet as you can look," said Florence; "it's not a bit too much, it's only lovely waves."
"Now I'm to get your dress, and you must put it on in here," said Marion; and before Miss Christine could utter a word of remonstrance she was off, and in a moment came back with the dress over her arm, and a lace collar in her hand. "I wish the skirt was a trifle longer," said Marion, as she stooped, and pulled it down behind.
