Now, there was likely to be some
difficulty about getting her to submit quietly to this operation, so,
after an instant's reflection, I called both her and her sister, and
told them that the most diligent of the two should have a vesicatory
put on her arm at night. 'Oh,' cried both the girls quite delighted,
'it will be me, papa, I shall be so good. Mamma, mamma--such a
treat--papa has promised us a vesicatory for to-night!'"
"That was simplicity itself," said Mrs. Becker, laughing till the
tears came into her eyes.
"The day passed, the one endeavoring to excel the other in the
quantity of leaves they turned over; and, from time to time, I heard
the one asking the other in a low voice, 'Have you ever seen a
vesicatory? What is it made of? Is it for eating? And each in turn
regarded her arms, to judge in advance the effect of the marvellous
ornament."
"I should like much to have seen them."
"Night came, and I declared gravely that the eldest was fairly
entitled to the prize. The latter jumped about with joy, and Sophia
began to cry. 'Don't cry,' said Mary, 'if you are good, papa will,
perhaps, give you one to-morrow, too,' Then the joyful patient,
turning to me, said, 'On which arm, papa?' and I told her that the
ceremony of placing it on must take place when she was in bed. To bed
accordingly she went, the ornament was applied, she looked at it, was
pleased with it, thanked me for it, and fell asleep as happy as a
queen.
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