I stirred mine up with a candle, like Sally, but it only made it worse;
So we had to ask Mamma's leave to have ours made by Nurse.
Nurse makes beautiful starch--like water-arrowroot when you're ill--in
a minute or two.
It's a very odd thing that what looks so easy should be so difficult
to do!
Then Mary put the iron down to heat, but as soon as she'd turned
her back,
A jet of gas came sputtering out of the coals and smoked it black.
We dared not ask Sally for another, for we knew she'd refuse it,
So we had to clean this one with sand and brown-paper before we
could use it.
It was very hard work, but I rubbed till I made it shine;
Yet as soon as it got on a damped "fine thing" it left a brown line.
I rubbed it for a long, long time before it would iron without a mark,
But it did at last, and we finished our Dolls' Wash just before dark.

* * * * *

Sally's very kind, for she praised our wash, and she has taken away
Victoria's dress to do it again; and I really must say
She was right when she said, "You see, young ladies, a week's wash
isn't all play."
Our backs ache, our faces are red, our hands are all wrinkled, and
we've rubbed our fingers quite sore;
We feel very sorry for Sally every week, and we don't mean to dirty
our dresses so much any more.