Sharp County record., 1881-04-14
4 HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

and looking down, half bewildered,
half amused, at her little daughter.
"Yes. mother. l hare birthdays,
don't I, Just the same as Mabel Ray?"
"Shure there's no mistake about
that, darlint,n laughed her mother, re-
suming her work. Eight years ago
next week you came into this throuble-
some world. That's two things we
have in common wild the rich, innyhow
the dav of our birth, an the day OF
our death"
"But, mother" persisted Biddy, her
BIG blue eyes rounder still with eager
ness, "can't l have party on my
birthday? Mabel Ray had one last
week; Eliza told me so. An she had
ice crane, an cake wild raisins in it,
an wax doll what opens its eyes, an
lots O children come to play wild her.
An, oh, mother"
"Sakes alive, Biddy! what's got into
vou?n said her mother, gazing down at
her with mingling of pride, amuse-
ment and regret. No BONNER child
than Biddy could you find anywhere.
Her complexion was a pure red and
white, her hair chestnut, falling in
natural curls over her shoulders, her
mouth as sweet a rosebud as Mabel
Rays. ,,
"She's as pretty as inny lady's child
of them ALL thought her mother; ian
as gintle an good" But aloud she
said, decidedly:
Honey, you're talkin' nonsinse.
I've hard work enough to kape us both
in bread an mate, let alone clothes,
widout givin' parties for you. Ice
crane an cake, indade! It's q niger
waiter veil be wantin' mkt, to be open
in the door foryour stylish frinds, she
went on, chuckling, as she wrung out
one of Mrs. Rays embroidered white
skirts.
"Oh, mother, [ know you cOuldn' t
give me such a party. But | thought l
might have Just few little frinds in
to play wild me, an we'd have some
crackers, an some ginger cookies may
be- and thin two pinnes you gave me
would buy candy an nuts. An if"
" An who do you want to invite,
may | ax?" said the mother, trying
not to laugh.
"Oh, mother, if 1 could ask poor lit
tie jim Swaney, the boy what lives
acrost the way-he's lame, YOU know;
an little Annie his sister They're so
poor an the father gets drunk, an
bates thin awful. I'd like thin TO
have a rood time for Onst.n
bliss your little heartn' said the
mother; "you shall have thin in an
wilcome, an I'll buy some cookies to
trate thin wild, and maybe something
besides. But don't you ask another
child in this neighborhood; they're a
bould, bad set, as you know, and it's
sorry l am we have to live in the midst
of thim."
"No, mother, l won't; but 1 do
wish | could AK some of the girls | 90
to school wild. There's Sally Flynn,
and Jenny Dean, an Mary Connor,
and Ann Gormly, an Kitty Fay, an"
Saints presarve u.s." cried Mrs.
Keaney. "Do you want to bring all
New York in on me? No, no, honey,
can't afford such a party as that.
Be off to school now, like a good child,
and don't bother me no more"
But the pleading face of her little
girl, the only child she had, haunted
Mary Keaney, and when, later in the
day, some unexpected work arrived
from lady to whom Mrs. Ray had
recommended her, she resolved at once
to crafty her darling.
1T comes only Onst year." she
said "an she's the only child I've got.
I'll buy 'em some cookies an ginger
bread, an a half-dozen limOns to make
some limonade wild; an hope they'll
be satisfied, for / can't do no more"
So Biddy, to her great joy, was al
lowed to invite half dozen little girls,
her most intimate friends, to her
"pa1ty," which would take place Thurs
day afternoon of the following week.
When Mrs. Keaney took Mrs. Rays
clothes home Thursday afternoon, she
told Eliza, the chamber maid, as a good
joke, about her little girls 'party" and
the expected guests.
Thursday afternoon came, and about
| four o clock "Lame Jim and his sister
arrived and were received by Biddy,
fresh and sweet as pink in her clean
cambric frock, with a rose-colored rib
bon tied above her shining hair. Mrs.
Keaney had but two little rooms in the
third story of a tenement house, but
though poor and scantily furnished,
they were kept as clean and sweet as
broom and scrubbing-brush could make
them.
How happy little Jim was! How his
sweet wan face frightened like a pale
flower brought into the sunshine! Mrs.
Keaney placed him in her one rocking
chair and gave him and little Annie a
drink of milk and a goOdly slice of
bread and butter straightway, for she
knew how little they had to eat at home.
And soon arrived the six girls all to-
gether; and what a merry clatter Of
tongues there was in that little kitchen!
They were just as happy as if they had
1rar. sill Il ccs5c5 sETTa nIu Shippers
happier, perhaps. Soon all were en-
gagged in merry game of "hide the
thimble," Jim as active as any one,
hopping nimbly about on his crutches.
At last they found the thimble snugly
hid in his pocket, where Kitty Fay mad
cunningly slipped it, unknown even to
the boy himself.
Game followed game in quick sue