Not very long after this, Mrs. Gray, came back to Rosewood with Flaxie and the dear rescued baby whom everybody was eager to see, for,—  
"They loved him more and more.
Ah, never in their hearts before,
Was love so lovely born."
And Ninny cried as she took him in her arms, and said,—
 
"He doesn't look as he used to, does he, papa? His eyes are very different."
 
"You think that because we came so near losing him," replied Dr. Papa.
 
Baby Philip looked round upon them all with "those deep and tender twilight¹ eyes," which seemed to be full of sweet meanings; but I must confess that he was thinking of nothing in the world just then but his supper.
 
The travellers had not been home a week before Grandpa Pressy sent for Ninny to go and make him and grandma a visit, and this left Flaxie Frizzle rather lonesome; for Preston did not care to play with girls when he could be with Bert Abbott. Besides, he and his cousin Bert were uncommonly² busy about this time, getting up a pin-show in Dr. Gray's barn.
 
So Flaxie's mamma often let her run over to Aunt Jane Abbott's to see Lucy and Rose. I have not told you before of these cousins, because there have been so many other things to talk about that I have not had time. Lucy was a black-eyed little gipsy, and Rose was a sweet little creature, you could never see without wanting to kiss.
 
Just now Aunt Jane had a lively young niece from Albany spending the fall with her, named Gussie Ricker. One day, when Flaxie Frizzle was at Aunt Jane's, Gussie proposed that Flaxie and Lucy should make a call upon a little girl who was visiting Mrs. Prim³.
 
"O, yes," said Lucy, "we truly must call on Dovey Sparrow. She has frizzly curls like Flaxie's, and she can play five tunes⁴ on the piano. But, Gussie, how do you make calls?"
 
"O," replied Miss Gussie, with a twinkle in her eye, "all sorts of ways. Sometimes we take our cards; but it isn't really necessary for little girls to do that. Then we just touch the lady's hand,—this way,—and[99] talk about the weather; and, in three minutes or so, we go away."
 
"I've seen calls a great many times," said Flaxie Frizzle, thoughtfully. "I can make one if Lucy will go with me."
 
"I could make one better alone," said Lucy, in a very cutting tone. She was two years older than Flaxie, and always remembered it.
 
"I'll go wiv you, Flaxie, if Lucy doesn't," put in little Rose, the sweet wee sister; and then it was Flaxie's turn to be cutting, for as it happened she was just two years older than Rose.
 
"Poh," said she; "you can't do calls, a little speck⁵ of a thing like you! You don't grow so much in a year as my thumb grows in five minutes!"
 
Rose hid her blushing face in the rocking-chair.
 
 
"Do you truly think we'd better go, Gussie?" asked Lucy; for Gussie was laughing, and Lucy did not like to be made fun of, though she did make fun of Flaxie Frizzle.
 
"O, certainly," said Gussie, trying to look very sober; "don't I always say what I mean?"
 
So, as they were going, Lucy took Flaxie one side that afternoon and instructed her how to behave.
 
"Dovey came from Boston, and we never saw her only in church; so I s'pose we must carry cards."
 
"Where'll we get 'em?"
 
"O, my mamma has plenty, and so has Gussie. I know Gussie would be glad to lend me her silver card-case that Uncle William gave her; she wants me to be so polite! But I don't dare ask her, so I guess I'll borrow it without asking."
 
 
"Hasn't somebody else got a gold one that I could borrow?" asked Miss Frizzle, looking rather unhappy as the pretty toy dropped into Lucy's pocket.
 
"O, it's no matter about you; you don't need a card-case, for I shall be with you to take care of you," returned Lucy, as they both stood in Mrs. Abbott's guest-chamber before the tall looking-glass. "Do tell me, Flaxie, does my hat look polite? I mean is it style enough?"
 
"It's as style as mine," replied Flaxie, gazing into the glass with Lucy. How pretty she thought Lucy was, because her eyes were black and her hair was dark and didn't "friz!"
 
"I wish I wasn't a 'tow-head,' and I wish I was as tall as you!" sighed she.
 
"Well, you don't care," said Lucy, graciously. "You'll grow. You're just as[102] good as I am if you only behave well. You mustn't run out your tongue, Flaxie: it looks as if you were catching⁶ flies. And you mustn't sneeze before people: it's very rude."
 
"I heard you once, Lu Abbott, and it was in church too!"
 
"O, then 'twas an accident; you must scuse accidents. And now," added Lucy, giving a final touch to her gloves, "I want you to notice how I act, Flaxie Frizzle, and do just the same; for my mother has seen the President and yours hasn't."
 
"Well, my mamma's seen an elephant," exclaimed Flaxie, with spirit; "and she has two silk dresses and a smelling-bottle."
 
"Poh! my cousin Gussie's got a gold watch, and some nightly blue sirreup. Uncle William gives her lots of things; but I shouldn't think of telling o' that! Now, do you know what to do when anybody induces you to strangers?"
 
"What you s'pose?" replied Flaxie, tartly⁷. "I speak up and say 'Yes'm.'"
 
Lucy laughed, as if she were looking down, down from a great hight upon her little cousin.
 
"And shake hands, too," added Flaxie, quickly, for fear she had made a mistake.
 
"No, you give three fingers, not your hand. Just as if you were touching⁸ a toad⁹. And you raise your eyebrows¹⁰ up,—this way,—and quirk¹¹ your mouth,—so,—and nod your head.
 
"'How d'ye do, Miss Dovey Sparrow? It's a charr-rming day. Are they all well at Boston?' You'll see how I'll do it, Flaxie! Then I shall take out my hang-verchief and shake it, so the sniff¹² of the nightly blue[104] sirreup will waft¹³ all round the room.—O, I've seen 'em!
 
"Then I shall wipe my nose—this way—and sit down. I've seen young ladies do it a great many times."
 
"So've I," chimed in Flaxie Frizzle, admiring her cousin's fine graces. Such tiptoeing and courtesying and waving of hands before the looking-glass. How did Lucy manage it so well?
 
"And, if people have plants," continued Lucy, "then you say, 'How flagrant!' And, if people have children, you say, 'What darlings!' and pat their hair, and ask, 'Do you go to school, my dear?'"
 
"They've said that to me ever so many times; and I've got real sick of it," remarked Flaxie.
 
"And they keep calling every thing char-ar-ming and bee-you-oo-tiful! with such tight gloves on, I know their fingers feel choked!"
 
"I spect we ought to go," said Flaxie, tired of all this instruction. "I don't believe you know how to behave, Lu Abbott. You never made any calls, more'n I did."
 
As they went through the hall, Flaxie thought she would "borrow" Aunt Jane's lace veil; but Lucy did not observe............