“O, papa, isn’t that a lovely baby?” And Ella paused in admiration before a wax doll.

“Yes,” said Mr. Lee, eagerly.  “Would not you rather have that pretty baby than a mirror?”

Ella considered for a moment.  She had a dolly she loved, though she was not as pretty as this one.

“No, papa, I’d rather have a ‘Mirror.’  It will be so nice to have one of my own.  I hope you know where to go to get it?” she added anxiously.

“Certainly,” said Mr. Lee, rather sharply, “I know just where to go.”

And so they went on by windows filled with floating ribbons, and shining silks; and others where there were glittering jewels, and some of the rings small enough for Ella’s fingers; and others where there were white fur capes spread out, with muffs that had such gay linings, and tassels; and windows hung to the very top with toys, and some of them such cunning ones—­mice that could be made to run and squeak, and jumping frogs—­but none of these things would Ella have.  At last they came to one all filled with flowers, and with this Ella was in raptures.

“What a very good man must live here,” she said, “to put all these things out for us to see!  I can smell them through the glass!”

“They are put here to sell,” said Mr. Lee, “and I know you will like that beautiful pink rose-bush a great deal better than a mirror—­or that great white lily.”

“No, no, papa,” said Ella, moving impatiently away.  “When will we come to the place?”

“Here it is,” said Mr. Lee, as they stopped at a store where then were two huge windows filled with mirrors of all sizes.  “Now which one will you have?  Not a very large one for such a very little lady.  But there is a nice little one that will just suit you, and it has a very pretty frame.”

“Where? where, papa?  I don’t see it!” And Ella looked about the window in a very bewildered manner.

“There.  In that corner, leaning against the window-frame.”

“Why, papa, that’s a looking-glass!”

“And is not that what you want?”

“No, sir; I want a ’Mirror’—­a book.”

“Oh! that’s it!” said Mr. Lee, with a brighter face.  “I expect you want a book called ‘The Mirror.’”

“Yes, sir,” said Ella, laughing, as they walked on.  “How funny that you should think I wanted a looking-glass!  There it is now!” she cried excitedly, pointing into the window of a book-store.

It was a large sheet of paper Ella saw, called a Poster, but it had “The Mirror” on it in very big letters.  So Mr. Lee and Ella went in, and the shopman brought her the book, but it was red, and she did not want it, and then he took down a green one, and then a brown, but Ella would only have a blue one.  After some trouble a blue one was found, and Ella walked off hugging it close up to her.  The book Miss Harper read had a blue cover, and I believe that Ella was afraid that any other color would not contain the same stories.