The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-12-25
A BEGINNING.

"A DEUXNNxNUs
KATE was eleven; Johnny was six;
Dora was "going on five." 1t was
nearly Christmas, and Kate had her
mind set upon making Johnnie a pres
ent. What should it be? Not slippers,
for Aunt Mary had sent him a pretty
pair on his birthday, blue with knot
of pansies. Neither could the present
be mittens. lest grandma might be Of
Tended; for she could do little else but
knit, and considered it her right to
keep the family hands and feet clothed.
Johnny. being the only boy, slept in
winter on a lounge in the sitting room,
and this suggested to Kate the thing to
make for him-a cover for the lounge
cushion.
One afternoon, when the mother had
gone to stay with grandma, who was
sick, Kate attempted beginning. She
brought the scrap-bag from the attic,
and settled little Dora by the window
to report Johnny's approach. He had
Then she emptied the bag in the mid
die Of the floor, and began picking out
the wooden pieces which would do to
be put together for the cover. She
had set aside scrap of yellow flannel,
and a piece of Johnny's new pepper
and-salt, and was thinking about tax
ing third bit-a blue merino, bright
but moth-eaten--when there was cry
from the sentinel at the window:
"Johnny's comin'!'
Kate, in a panic, snatched up the
pieces by great handfuls, and crowded
them back into the bag, asking if he
was almost to the gate. She wouldn't
have little Johnny see even the thread
and needle she was to make his pres
ent with; it must be complete sur
prise to him. When the scraps were
all in the bag, and the bag under the
lounge. Dora said:
"Why, no; it isn't Johnny, it's
Aaron bridges"
"Well, I think it's pity" Kate
said, if you can't tell Johnny from
Aaron Bridges, who is head taller and
She dragged out the bag, and again
emptied the pieces on the floor.
"Anyhow, they both wear caps"
said Dora defending herself.
Eyes, they do, and hen and a
gander both wear feathers" said Kate.
"Oh yes, but" and Dora bobbed her
head in triumph, "they amt both of
them hens, and they amt both of them
ganders."
"Well, now" said Kate amused.
"begin again; keep a good lookout,
and tell me if you see Johnny coming;
but please. don't mistake every boy in
town for him."
"rd rather pick out the pieces; you
watch for Johnny" said Dora.
| "That's always the way with little
girls; they never want to do what they
can do. You'd better stand up in the
chair, and then you can see farther
down the street."
So Dora mounted chair, and turned
her face to the window, looking very
tall, and Kate went on turning over the
scraps and added to Dora:
"You must keep your eyes on the
street. You mustn't stop to watch me.
Johnny might come while you're watch
ing me, and ruin everything"
Dora returned to her sentinel watch,
and Immediately cried out that Johnny
was coming.
Kate seized the bag with one hand
and a heap of scraps with the other,
and then ran to the window to see if
Dora's report was true.
"Where p'' she asked. "Where is
hep"
Fright there" said Dora. Don't
you see his blue scarf?''
"What a goose you arer' cried Kate.
THAT'S crazy Polly Perkins. / should
think you could tell that great tall crazy
woman with sun-bonnet from your
own little boy brother"
"Anyhow,' said Dora, " You talk as
if little brothers was sometimes girls"
Kate laughed, and then said: eff
you'll keep good watch, Dode, and
tell me truly when Johnny's coming,
Ill make your doll princess dress.
"Well," Dora agreed, I'm look
hard's 1 can. and ri really-truly next
time"
"Well, please, Dody, do"
Dora turned herface street-ward, and
Kate went back to examining the
scrap-bag. She soon had good pile
of CAV bits selected, but in the midst of
her work, she heard on the walk the
tramp, tramp of boys boots, coming
dIOuuu UuO uOuSC w VuO SAUO uOOAs
There he is!'' cried Kate, starting
and grabbing the scraps, as she darted
a swift glance at the faithless Dora, fast
asleep, seated in her chair.
Kate had just time to get all the
pieces thoroughly mixed and crowded
back into the bag, when Johnny came
stamping in.
I'm SO glad he didn't see the
pieces" Kate thought, not realizing
that no beginning was yet made toward
the cushiOn-cover. The sitting-room
being the only one warmed, Kate could
not take her Christmas work to an
other.
"After Johnny goes to bed, can
work on it," she thought; "he always
goes early"
But that night Johnny got interested
in story, and when his bedtime came
he teased Kate to let him read on q lit
tie farther.
"It's SO NICE" he pleaded; "about
a poor little boy named Philip. He
hung up his stocking Christmas night,
and l want to see if he got anything in
it,
"Of course he did," said Kate. "In
stories they always get their stockings
filed. l shouldn't wonder if he found
it full of gold pieces. I wish things
happened in sure-enough as in story.
books, and I wish boys were as good
out of books as in, and would 60 to bed
at their bed time"
II will 90 truly, as soon as see it
Philip found anything in his stocking"
said Johnny, falling to on the story.
"Pn read Is fast as can"
'And skip all the long words,' said
Kate. "See here; I'll read to you after
you get to bed"
"M right" said Johnny, who'd ra-
Their be read to than read, any day, or
night either.
He went into the next room and un-
dressed, and soon came back and lay
on the lounge under cover, while Kate
read rapidly about Philip and what he
found in his stocking Christmas morn
inn