The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-15
hat a woman like that must have a soul some

| mon of bare walls and curtanleSS windows
| remembered what had read in one of the
newspapers about making curtains Of cheese
cloth bound with turkcy-red calico; but Jessie
had thought of something better than that.
"Did you see the geranium little Bell had IN
the old paint keg? She raised that from a
slip in a bouquet you sent her, and she says
that Esther calls it the comforter Now Just
think of the mutitudes of geraniums and
begonias You are accommodating because you
never can even be induced TO throw any
thing with the scmblancc of a flower away,
and everybody IN our set has plenty just Ike
them I'll have enough to- keep me busy UNI
til Thanksgiving in dsposins OF some OF
thcm'
She went TO work that night, and with the
assistance of Jamie, the boy who takes care OF
the horses, and who is very ingenious, she car
lried ont her design. As she had said, it took
every minute that She was out of school, and
she went to bed tired more than once, but she
is not girl to be discouraged by little things.
And now for what she did.
A window box was made from Il drygoods
box, with ivy leaves cut from paper and pasted
on in the form of rim. The box was then
painted dark brown and the leaves torn off,
and when dry the whole was vanished with
damar varnish. She filled the bottom with all
the broken crockcry about the place, covered
it with loan and planted it with geraniums OF
every variety, the leaves of the strawberry
creeping between the stems of the others. A
pretty frame was woven from willow branches
for the struggling walnut IN the center, and
the whole was set on Il rustic stand made of
crotch from the woods, twlncd with stems of
the bite sweet and furnished with the casters
from an old bcdstead that 1t might be easily
moved about. Jimmie sawed two stumps
when they went TO the woods for the crotch,
and followed them out with his jack knife.
These she vanished making beautiful rustic
pots for her begonias. Brackets were sawed
from hard wood and furnished with hinges for
these to rest upon; an old tin dipper with the
handle knocked off painted brown and placed
in covering crochetcd from scarlet yarn with
open meshes and strings of chain stitch, made
II hanging-bask for the Kenilworth ivy and
manrandya vine. That was for the south
window. Transparcncics made of forest leaves
pressed between two panes Of glass for the east
window, and frame of maidcn-halr fern for
one Of Esther's own pretty sketches, completed
the outfit, she said
"And how are they to keep flowers from
freezing during the winter" asked. Coal
is not very plentiful in their small dwelling,
and know they don't keep "a fire at night I'M
less Esther is very sick"
THAT is provided for too she said gaily,
"comc and see"
followed her to the stable loft, that served
AS their work shop, and there was another dry
goods box converted INTO a sort of closet lined
with several thicknesscs Of express paper, and
with front door that could be raised like thc
leaf of n table.
"Scc," she said "hc box can be trundlcd IN
here, the pots can be lifted from the brackets
and crochet cover and set in below, and all is
snug. There is Il nice little corner in the
kitchen where this will be quite out of the
way, and it will serve rs sidc-tablc, too.
When you have the footsool covered, we are
all ready, you see"
was quite proud Of the girl, and willingly
entered into her plans to bring Esther over to
spend Thanksgiving with us. While we were
talking about it, Jimmie handed her note,
which she read with smile
Its from Cousin Tom" she said, "and he
wonders if cousin Patty can he induced TO
consider him an object of charity for one day,
ms he isdetained on his way through town, and
has no home but the hotel for Thanksgiving,
of all days in the year
The scapc- grace" calculated, for he is no
cousin of mine being related to Jessie through
her father, and only calls me that to tease ,Jes
sic who has such fashion of beginning every
remark addressed to me with cousin Patty"
tom knows that he has as much right in this
house as have, and he probably came to town
with the intention OF spending Thanksgiving
here. Nobody ever yet knew him to have any
business"
| watched Jessie closely as | spoke, for her
cousin is quite Il hero in her eyes, being hand.
some and travelled, and wondered if his com.
ing would make any difference in her plans.
She was not selfish enough for that, and was
greatly troubled by the cold weather next
morning myself was doubtful as We rode
over for Esther; but DR. Millcn was there
himself to put her in the carriage and Bell
held slawls before her, 50 that the ride seemed
to Go her good
While she was resting in my room, Jessie
and Jimmie took the flowers over in he cup
board and arranged them. There was only
one child among the guests this time, and she
was very quict-'so ~ not 10 make the pretty
sick lady'S head ache" Esther seemed 81
cheerful and glad to he able to visit once more,
that she made Us all happy In fact her talk
with Tom about his travels was the pleasantest