Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-08-21
MARIE MANNING's BIRTHDAY.
From the New York Observer.

MAMIE MhNNIN6'S blnlhUhI.
From the New York Observer.
"Now. Helen,i if mamma should ask
you what / want for birthday pres
ent, be sure you remember and tell
her what it is"
Eyes, answered Helen, looking up,
her bright, black eyes growing ear
nest, as she received this important
charge from her elder sister
"but what will say ?"
Marie thought for few moments.
This was an important matter to her.
After all, what did she want more
than anything else? She thought it
woula probably come to her if she
made reasonable choice, for her
mamma was always SO glad to give
everybody pleasure, little people as
we'll as big. On Saturdays. when
ever she was allowed to invite some
little girls to spend the day, mamma
always gave them such nice dinner,
with hen and chickens, or parrot,or
something pretty in ice cream, and
curious fancy notices for dessert.
Then she sat at the table with them
and talked to them just as if she were
little girl herself, and all the girls
thought she was perfectly lovely. So
she was and although her children
were not old enough to appreciate
her unselishness and generous con.
sideration for others that made her so
noble woman, yet her presence
strengthened her preoepts, and the
boys and girls Of such mother must
look on all humanity with kind and
honest eyes.
AT last Marie answered: "Well, /
think the best thing would be pen
and pencil. but l hope both will be
Of gold. l can use them for my les.
sons, and it would be real handy to
have the pencil hanging by red rib
bon around my neck"
eyes, that would be Dice," approx
ingly SAID Helen.
"Then | could write whenever !
felt Ike it,"
Marie liked to write, and would
often begin short story; but per-
hsps she was rather lazy, tor she did
not finish them. 1t is to be hoped
that she will soon break this bad
habit, for life full of unfinished &C.
tons will neither be happy nor useful.
Helen was very happy when her
mamma told her that Marie should
have her presents, and as she was
brave little soul and could keep a Sc.
cret better than many older people,
she also was told Of a surprise in
store for the birthday.
"Truly, mamma, l will never tell
anybody" and she kept her word.
Soon the birthday came, and it was
full of sunshine. Marie didn't see
any great change in herself as she
dressed, although she thought she
ought to look little different, now
that she was really eleven years old
but old Father Time is kindly; he
rarely lines a child's face, and this
was very happy one that bent over
the much. wished for pen and pencil
as she drew them from the folds of
her napkin at the breakfast table.
Having thanked everybody, Marie
finished her breakfast and began to
study very willingly for would not
her Latin exercises be written with
her pew pencil ? Musa and Ager,
with their various endlngs, ran SO
easily from the golden point, and
proved again the old, old truth, that
happiness lightens labor.
After lessons came another present
of box of candy, in which every.
body shared, Helen being very happy
to puzzle the old gardener with
piece made like peach-stone, which
at first he was afraid to eat.
Yet even birthdays move on, and
dinner.time came. Afterwsrd, as the
two girls were sitting with their
mamma in the shade of a grand old
linden-tree which had stood near the
house for many year, Helen sud-
denly clapped her hands, saying" Oh,
mamma, Marie, look !" Turning,
they saw moving slowly along q
stately avenue of spruce and pine
trees sort Of procession. Two
goats, one of pure white, the other
beautifully marked with brown, we're
harnessed before a small cart, which |
seemed to be loaded, while on each
side, as it for protection, one of Ma
rie's older brothers walked with slow
and solemn step. They were clever,
manly fellows both of them, and con-
slant companions. Though the elder
had grown away from the younger
in inches, the shorter still held his
own in wit. Their father, with a
wisdom as great as it is rare, had
encouraged greatly their interest in
raising poultry. Land and lumber
were to be bad for the asking, the
only condition being that they should
do the work themselves and keep
everything in good order. Eggs and
chickens were bought from them at
their market value, and these indus
trious younr merchants we're daily
learning useful things for their whole
lives. Marie. being some ~ha. ambi-
tious, had long wished to enter the
same business, but had not yet &C
complished it.
As they reached the linden. tree,
tho goats stopped and both boys sd-
vanced few steps and bowed very
low before Marie, and one said:
"Miss Manning, we hear that You
would like TO raise poultry. We
think You can't do it. cause you're
nothing but a girl, yet at the same
time it gives us great pleasure,-we,
W. Def il Co., the treat firm Of
and prize-takers of
the country,-to present You with o