Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-12-25
Miss PRINTS Surprise.
! oaaI.I,lA. EEon1 g0a Eur elnLpnrs.

Mi'1 A+t , Dhi ~ lN|s
a cnnlsrAAs rroKy ron vuu CHILDREN.
i don't believe there's a person in %,
village who hasn't a Cnristmas present.
exclaimed little Nellie Dutton, dancin.
around her own treasures, which we're sprea,
out on the floor, "unles it's old Miss Prim
| don't believe anybody would give her
present"
Nellie's sister Maud, LIN sorry to say
sat by the window, sulking Not beeaus
she had been neglected, but because she ha,
not received the little gold watch and chail
she had set her heart on. Somehow Mel
lies careless words brought to her mind, a.
in flash, the forlorn and lonely home o
the poor little sewing.woman. She coul,
see the tiny brown cottage Of two rooms
with its patient, sad-eyed tenant, sitting b.,
her low window, sewing. No Christina
tree, even no Christmas dinner, she feared
for she knew Miss prim had to sew caril
aud late TO earn her living
g. | don't see how can help it" MauC
said to herself for She couldn't avoid feel
ing that somebody ought to 30 something
" I've spent every cent / had"
For while she sat thinking silently
Then, almost 20 her own surprise, she ex
claimed
Nell, suppose we give her something g
4" Who ?' said Nelly. Oh Miss Prim
What can we give hor} She wouldn't car,
for my things, and you can't give away
presents, you know"
"No don't mean that; let's maxi
her sonlethiug-uot to wear or to eat, bu
to enjoy. Let me sec
"Oh you make her fernery! !n
"I can't do that on such short notice
but know what can make, and | believe
I'll do it now"
Among the rubbish in the wood.shed
she had noticed an old dripping-pan. Now
she went and got it, asked her mother i
she could haveit-telling her something o
her plan--aud at once proceeded to work
"What can you do with that old black
thing ?" asked Nell, in disgust. Im surf
Miss Prim wof't thank you for that"
Won't she, Miss Noll2 You come up
in the attic with me aud sec if she won't.
Now Maud was very fond of the woods
and every few days through the long SUN
mer anl fall she had made excursions int
them, returning loaded down with ,reasure
she couldn't bear to leave-beauiiful mosse
and licheas, lovely stones, aud thousands o
things you wOUds-lavers know.
Now Mrs. Dutton was a neat housclcep
er, and abborred litter So she for
bado Maud's filling her pretty room viii
these things, but gave her free access to tn,
attic. Sundry trunks and shelves therefore
held all these beauties, aud to them MAUD
and Nellie went.
First said Maud " l must cover tn,
bottom Of the pan, so IL won't soil Mis-
Prim's neat house"
After some hunting, she found an old
cloth cloak, which she said wa;
just the thing. Cutting piece a few inche.
larger than the pan, she covered the bottom
Of that much-usod article, brought it up on
the sides, and fastened it securely to the
wire arouud the edge, by means of hole.
which she punched with sharp nail aud a
hammer.
THE next thing is to cover the sides Of
the pan, so it will be ornamental"
The sides are covered" SAID Nell, who
was impatient to see by what necromancy
Maud could turn an old dripping-pau into
a work Of art
Yes, | know they are-with old cloth
but don't think that's very pretty, dc
you?'
"Well, no-not very but it's as pretty
as the inside"
"Oh you wait till | get at the inside
Miss Nell, said Maud, now in high spirits.
50 Next | must make some glue"
From a shelf she took an old tin cup and
some pieces of glue, and went down to the
kitchen stove to melt it, Mrs. Dutton was
busy helping Bridget cook the big Christ
mas dinner, to which a house full Of friends
was expected, but she told Maud she would
take time to pack few "goodies" for Miss
Prim's table.
With the pot of hot glue Maud went back
to the attic aud soon had the sides Of the
pan covered with pieces Of delicate bark
and twigs, with here and there an acorn,
or small cone from an evergreen tree. --
Whom done it looked rustic and pretty,
Maud was satisfied and Nell was in &c
stasies.
Now for the inside" said Mau /; " and
first must get some good soil.'
Another journey was made to the cellar
this time, where a box-full Of earth was
kept by the gardener to start his early plants
in. Maud soon filed the pan, forming the
soft earth into hills and valleys and uneven
shapes Then she found a piece of broken
looking.glass, which she washed clean, and
carefully imbedded in the soil on one side,
making sloping banks up from the glass
1t looked like little pond.
Now, Nell,' said Maud, "will you 90
down to the wood.shed and bring me this
basket full of the green MOSES we had un.
Ter the Chrstmas-treo last night2 They
we're thrown out with ;hc tree. Pick out
nice pieces, aud all the kinds there are,
while | hunt up some rocks for our little
mossery.n
Delighted to help, Nellie did as she was
and soon returned with heap
ng basket-ful Of those wonderfully beauti-
iul green moses which grow so luxuriautly
IN the woods, and which Maud and her
elder brother had dug out from under the
snow few days before.
In the mean time Maud found few
rough stones, one with an exquisite bit Of
gray lichen growing on il, and another half
covered with golden green mofs. These
lhe imbedded in the soil, the mossy one
hanging over the bit of lake, aud the
,ther over in corner. From the lake to
lrother corner she made sort Of winding
-avine, aud then proceeded to cover the
whole with fresh MOSES. The several va.
-ietios were put on according to her fancy.
Little tree-like sorts, planted here and there,
ooked like fairy trees. Two or three over
nung the lake. Bits Of twigs covered with
moss, the little exquisite red and brown
,apped sorts, she laid about to look like