The House of Delight - Public Domain

About The House of Delight - Public Domain

Betsey was a curly-headed little girl, nine years old, who played with her dolls in the most interesting way you ever saw. Little Mrs. Delight, with her soft brown hair and beautiful brown eyes, was Betsey’s very dearest doll, and she played most of the time with her, and her charming little husband, Mr. Delight. But Betsey’s sister Anne, who was away at school and who was much too old to play with dolls any more, had given Mr. and Mrs. Darling to Betsey, for it did seem too bad to keep them packed away in their dark, stuffy box.

Now, Betsey didn’t call herself xiithe dolls’ mother, for they were all grown up, and much older than she was already. And they seemed to need a new chair or a new bed so very often, that a carpenter was necessary most of the time. So whenever Mr. Delight wished to order new furniture, Betsey called herself Mr. Betts, and talked exactly like a carpenter. When Mrs. Delight needed new dresses or new curtains, Betsey called herself Madame Bettina, and talked as nearly as she could like Mother’s French dressmaker. And when any of the dolls were sick, Betsey at once took the part of old Dr. Betson, and talked gruffly with them about tonics and pills.

She talked for each of the dolls, too, and if you had listened in the next xiiiroom, you would have said that at least three or four people were talking.

Betsey really was such a very skilful little carpenter and seamstress, that you will find only five pieces of furniture in the pictures that she did not make all alone by herself. See if you can find the five things. She even made Dinah, the colored cook.

Betsey always liked School-time, and Bed-time. And she was a very good little girl about Errand-time and Dusting-time,—considering everything. But, do you know, I really think that most of her best lessons in patience and neatness were learned in Play-time!