Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-12-03

lege my failure and general helpless
ness, therefore, seeing that the little
mink was going to leave mo TO my
fate stretched forth my hand display
ing my crumbled and parti'colored
wristband, aud said solemnly-"Prlm'
rose barley, do you know how to sew
a button on 7"
She was demurc enough by this
time, only roguish twinkle in her
ego betrayed how hard 1t was to keep
her amusement from sight, aud closing
the door she came across the room,
and locked on mo like n plying
angel-"l sew all Jacks buttons on
taking at glance my iorlorn s''ua'
ton.
Here was q model sister tor young
man. In Imagination / contrasted
her with my somewhat indolcnt Mol
lie, ending by envying Jack tremen-
dously but even as ! did so my eyes
fell upon the dlsmantlcd wofk.basket,
and confess ] shuddered.
"Primrose,' said ! IN u whisper,
"whcre is Mollie =
She understood my thoughts, and
picking up the basket commenced un-
tangling the contents.
"She's got = headache and won't be
down for long time yet" said she re-
assuriugy, and set'ling,.herself down
costly in the great chair which |, hav.
ing recovered my politeness, rolled up
for her, devoted herself to restoring
the basket TO it's former neatness and
order, while | watched her attentive
ly.
1t was wonderful how deity and
easily those little pink fingers separ'
ated the snarls upon which:I had
gazed in despair, and wound the dit.
ferent threads upon the respective
} balls and spools. In an incredible
short space OF time my mischief was
entirely repaired, and l drawing q
} long breath of relief and thankfulnes
looked admiringly at the skilful hands
"Now," said she after setting aside
the pretty trihe, which had inward
J ly vowed never to touch again-"now
for the wristband."
held out my hand in obedience to
her merry nod, and displayed the tin
ny gold tbimble cleaning on my
finger, when to my great discontinue
the provoking little thing went offiute
paroxysm OF laughter. which maue
me wish that | had never seen but
ton, and wish much more that ] had
never tried to sew one on.
"Do excuse me, Mr.. Elliot, but it is
really too comical," said she, or rather
gasped. "What on earth would
Mollie and Jack say?" then catching
sight of my shamed.faced appearance,
she checked herself with great contri
I ton, and again announced herself
read for work.
"Primyose," say |, II want you te
teach me how to sew button on
SITS too comical," as you say, for
great six-footer like myselfto be sc
helpless, and moving up my music
stool very close beside her, prepared
to receive her Instructions.
"Weil," said she, in no way resent
, ing my unusual proximity, Gin the
first place you generally ought to put
your thimble on the middle finger O.
your right hand"
Here she looked at me misohievous
ly, while was conscious Of blushine
deeply.
"Then you thread your needle, ane
tie knot in the end of the thread
"Yes" said deeply interested.
, "Then you put it through the CLOTH
leaving the knot on the wrong side.
"Yes."
"Then you slip the button on so.
"Yes."
"Theu you sew it on firmly, this way
and the little hands went back anc
, forth over the cloth in manner per-
fectly bewlldering to my masculine
mind.
"Then you take a stitch on tht
! wrong side to fasten it, and then cut
the thread off. Where are the scis.
t sors I"
81 guess there are in the basket,
said l forgetful of my vertuous re-
!. solution, and reach toward it.
"It's no matter" she said hurr'edly
r fearing that l was going to make an
other outslaughter on it's precious con
. tents, 81 can bite it of just as well.
Q "No," said gallantly, 81 will i
|. will spoil your teetb,' and somehow
h it happened that we bent down over !