It had been like the ounce, living exclusively inside her schoolbooks
for little girls to be examined about. And now here Aunt Abigail,
talking about a butter-pat, had brought it to life!
Of course all this only lasted a moment, because it was such a new idea!
She soon lost track of what she was thinking of; she rubbed her eyes as
though she were coming out of a dream, she thought, confusedly: "What
did butter have to do with the Declaration of Independence? Nothing, of
course! It couldn't!" and the whole impression seemed to pass out of her
mind. But it was an impression which was to come again and again during
the next few months.
CHAPTER IV
BETSY GOES TO SCHOOL
Elizabeth Ann was very much surprised to hear Cousin Ann's voice
calling, "Dinner!" down the stairs. It did not seem possible that the
whole morning had gone by. "Here," said Aunt Abigail, "just put that pat
on a plate, will you, and take it upstairs as you go. I've got all I can
do to haul my own two hundred pounds up, without any half-pound of
butter into the bargain." The little girl smiled at this, though she did
not exactly know why, and skipped up the stairs proudly with her butter.
Dinner was smoking on the table, which was set in the midst of the great
pool of sunlight. A very large black-and-white dog, with a great bushy
tail, was walking around and around the table, sniffing the air.
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