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Page 44
"Yes, I can bring a lot," said Molly, with enthusiasm; "let's make
this family all over. Let's make them be neat and tidy and
thrifty."
"Do you suppose we can?" said Marjorie, doubtfully.
"Well, we can try," said Molly. "Now let's call them in, and then
let's go home. It must be dinner-time, and I'm nearly starved."
They opened the door and found the Dunn family apparently happy
and contented; and in no wise disturbed by the unusual occupation
of their visitors.
"Come in," cried Marjorie, "come in all of you, and see how nice
your room looks!"
"I can't come just now," said Elegant Ella, whose speech was
rather indistinct by reason of several pins held in her mouth.
"I'm trimming my hat, and if I leave it now I'll forget how I was
going to arrange the feather."
"I think I won't move just at present," said Mrs. Dunn. "The
gettin' out here hurt me more'n I thought it was goin' to, and now
I'm landed, I guess I'll set a spell. I'm ever so much obliged to
you fer all your kindness, and now you'd better run along home or
your grandma'll be worried. You're mighty good children, and I'm
glad to have that room swep' up; it must be a weight off en Ella's
mind."
It did not seem probable that Ella ever had a weight on her mind
in the way of housekeeping cares, but at the moment she was so
absorbed in her hat-trimming that she paid no attention to her
mother's remark.
It seemed hard that Molly and Midge had no one to appreciate the
results of their labors, but Hoopsy Topsy was washing the dishes
after the family meal, Plumpy was asleep on the floor, and Dibbs
was playing out in the door-yard, with some battered old toys.
So, taking their baskets, Molly and Midge started homeward.
"I thought it would be fun to take things to poor people," said
Marjorie, with an air of disappointment; "but those people are too
aggravating for anything. They just accept what you bring and
hardly thank you for it, and then they seem to want you to go home
as fast as you can."
"That's so," agreed Molly; "but I don't care whether they like it
or not. I think we ought to try to do them good. I don't mean only
to take them things to eat, but try to make them more--more--"
"Respectable," suggested Marjorie. "But I suppose that Ella thinks
she's more respectable than we are this minute."
"I s'pose she does; but we oughtn't to be discouraged by such
things. I think mother'll give me some of my last year's dresses
to give her, and then she won't have to wear that funny-looking
rig she had on."
"She likes that," said Marjorie. "I don't believe she'd wear your
dresses if you took them to her."
By this time the girls had reached the Sherwood house, and Grandma
invited Molly to stay to dinner, which invitation the little girl
gladly accepted.
At the dinner-table they told Grandma the whole story of the
morning.
Mrs. Sherwood was greatly amused at their description of the Dunn
family, and greatly surprised to learn of their efforts in the
house-cleaning line.
"I want you to be charitable," she said, "and generously inclined
toward the poor and needy. But I don't want you to adopt such
unusual methods of dispensing your charity. After this, when you
feel inclined to such energetic measures, come home first and ask
permission. Then, if the plan seems to me feasible, you can carry
it out."
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