The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1873-12-13
TOwSoMT0wM. Md STATURE
aws.. dowd1 room I. ) ob.erved BETSY.

"What dowdy room it is, observed bessv.
"What old fashioned furniture And don't
believe the carpet cost dollar yard. should
think you'd be ashamed of such big sofa, all
piled up with pillows and things. And you've
only cane seat chairs. / wouldn't be hired to
sit in one. Your curtains, too, are real country
fed" "I shouldn't think your mother had
picked up much, there's such sight OF books
and papers scattered round. My mother won't
have such things about, they make such lit
ter We only have few red and green gilt
books on the marble topped table,"
"Have you got marble table" said Susy,
awestruck at so much grandeur.
"Of course, we have" said Betsy. "All de-
cent people have them. And we have real
styIsh sofa, and stuffed chairs, red curtains,
and green and blue carpet with red flowers
as big as cabbages. l can tell, girls, it's just
lovely"
Having thoroughly disturbed the nice ar
rangement of everything in the room, she turn
ed her attention to the vases on the SHELF,
wherein Mother had gracefully arranged spray 8
| delicate greenery.
"Your mother don't know how to make bou-
auets," observed Betsy, taking down the vases,
| to examine the flowers. "Let's go out into the
| garden and make nosegays that will surprise
| her." So she took out the offending flowers
and we all went out into the garden, where she
proceeded to collect and arrange all the gay and
gorgeous flowers that grew into two mammoth
bouquets, marvels of color and size.
Ta11f c, Sha said at length, "those Will DO
| Iell uncle John, II he aeLa.--A- ,-<ssefif.-
We went back to the parlor again, to put the
| flowers in the vases. In taking down one, it
| slipped from Betsy's hand, and fell in thous-
and fragments at our feet
dreadful brittle things" she remarked, cool
| ly, while Susy and stood looking dismayed at
the mischief done. 'It's an old-fashioned
| thing, any way" continued Betsy. al should
think your mother would be glad it was bro
ken. But presume she will makea great fuss
! about it, Let's play people next" she said
| "I'll dress up in your mothers clothes, and we
will make visits and be grown-up ladies'"
| SO, unwillingly, we went into Mothers cool,
wellordered room, where Betsy was soon in her
element, examining the contents OF boxes,
drawers, aud closets. Finally, she arrayed her
self in Mothers best bonnet, her white shawl
that she found so neatly folded, and her new
black silk dress, that swept behind her like a
train.
And then she played mother, and we were
little girls. And most misera BILE time we had
of it.
81 don't think this is much fun," said Su.y,
at length.
81 don't think so, either replied Betsy.
"Your mothers things are not half stylish
enough. can't be grand and dignifed in such
old duds."
With that she swept them disdanfully upon
the floor, where they were left, while we went
off in search of new adventures. Going outon
the piazza, Betsy spied ladder resting upon
the roof
"I'll tell you, girls" she said, "what we'll do
next. It's lots of fun. I've been wanting to
try it ever since l read about it. You know
when people go up in balloons they sometimes
take cats and dogs with them, fasten them to
open umbrellas, and let them fall TO the ground.
Jack Hastings says he's seen it done a million
of times. Well try it. Go up on the piazza
roof, open our umbrellas, hang on to the hand
les, and jump to the ground 1t won't hurt
bit. l only wish the piazza was higher"
So we obeyed orders meekly silly girls that
we were-mounted the roof, opened our UNI
brellas, and launched out into space The um
brellas, not being constructed on scientific prin-
ciples, veered and plunged, and we reached the
ground-happily, with no broken bones, but
breads !@iy frightened.
"I'll never believe what read or what that
lying Jack Hastings says again." said Betsy,
amazed at the result of her experiment and
vigorously rubbing her bruised shoulders.
But she quickly recover from her fight, and
said
81 don't think, girls, you are very polite not
to offer me any supper. Pm going into the
pantry to see if you have anything fit to eat
Your mother is a real plain cook. My mother
says she can't bear to eat here. But suppose
that is because we have everything so rich and
nice at home. Why, we have frosted cake and
preserves every morning for breakfast, if we
want them"