CHAPTER II
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
CHAPTER II.
Wuewn Susy was born Mrs. Love came with her, as I have told you.
She took the little baby gently in her arms, and smiled upon her tenderly.
If she had left her lying there Susy would have died; and then I could not have written this book.
Then Mrs. Love dressed her in soft, warm clothes.
She put on a little tiny shirt, a flannel petticoat, a white frock, and such wee morsels of socks that when Susy grew up she gave them to her doll.
I don't know whether you had on any socks or not.
Perhaps your Mrs.
Love said your little feet ought to keep each other warm, and mustn't wear socks.
It took some time to dress Susy.
She was so smal] and weak that she could not help dress herself, nor hold up her head.
But there was one thing she knew how to do that nobody ever taught her.
She knew how to double up
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
her little mite of a hand and suck it as hard as she could.
I suppose she thought she was hungry.
Do you suppose she would be alive now if she had had nothing but her hand to eat?
No, indeed!
So Mrs. Love took her to her mamma, who was very glad to give her some nice, warm breakfast.
If Mrs. Love had not been there I dare say her mamma would not have given ber any.
Very likely she would have said: "Oh! don't bring that child here!
I'm tired, and want to go to sleep!" But then you know Mrs.
Love was there !
Now what do you think little Susy's first lesson was?
Why, she had to learn to smile!
Mrs. Love kept smiling and smiling, till at last Susy began to think to herself that perhaps she could do so too.
So she really smiled.
Then you should have seen and heard what went on.
"J declare! this child has just smiled," said her nurse.
"Oh! are you sure?" cried her mamma.
" Bring her to me; let me see !"
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
v4 " Little darling !" said Mrs. Love.
When her papa came home to dinner that lay, the nurse met him in the hall, and said to him: "The baby has smiled !"
And when he went up to the nursery, Mrs.
Love said: "Baby has learned to smile!"
And when he asked Susy's mamma how she did, she only said in a joyful voice: "Don't you think, our baby has smiled !"
So by that time he smiled, though he shook his head, as much as to say:
"I don't believe it !"
After this Mrs. Love made everybody in the house hug and kiss Susy so much that it was a wonder how the little thing found room to grow.
They did not kiss her on purpose, you know, but because they could not help it.
Everything she did delighted the whole family, and one day the cook said:
"T do believe this child is going to have a dent in her chin; and if she has a dent in her chin, I shall give up !"
She meant by that that she liked dents ir people's chins.
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
It was not long after this that Mrs. Love taught Susy to put up her little hand and pat her mamma's chin and cheek; and then to give her sweet kisses; and then to wind her fat, soft arms around her neck.
And Miss Joy was almost always teaching her to spring and dance, and to be such a happy little baby that it was a pleasure to go into the nursery and hear her shout and laugh and clap her hands, and see her face all full of smiles.