, 1881-01-14
PlNSY'S BIRTHDAY.

.o,s ewes. and when she opens them
,,;de it makes you think OF those great,
heautiful pansies that look at you with
% ruch intelligence We have bed Of
tbem out in the garden, and, though
ponsv dearly loved the rest of the gar.
dsn flowers, yet she fingers longest by
@ .he side of these. She will talk to them
and pat them lovingly with her little
hand and when they turn their almost
human faces toward her, and look at her
nth their pleading eyes, she says :
yves nv dear little darlngs, sister will
o;ye you some water" and away she goes
sor her little watering-pot. ."
But our little Pansy was to have
real truly birthday" all her own.
She had had these before, but the first
two happened when she was 50 much OF
habv that she had no remembrance OF
Them: and the next one came when she
was sick, so sick that we feared our dar'
Ing's next birthday would be IN Heaven
among the angels. But God was very
good and permitted rs to keep our treas
Gre VET n little longer. Pure country
o;r and warm drinks of uDadulterated
milk had restored her to full health, and
she was now dancing around the house
ora;n in and out, like little sunbeam.
Snch a blue sky And such golden
snnshine Flowers were blooming and
exhaling their sweet perfume; BIRDS were
singing their sweetest songs, and every
tbi6r conspired to render our pets fourth
birthday perfect one
She wanted to invite Jesus anu santa
Claus" cause they were her 'pest
friends" she said.
so" said Beatrice, Jesus wouldnt
come. for He never goes anywhere IN the
body-He's invisible"
"And Santa Claus lives way OIL at the
North Pole, and never goes out at all IN
summer. Why, warm weather'd melt
him all to pieces said Maudie.
The tears were slowly dripping from
Pansy's long lashes, when bright
thought struck her, AMI she brushed
them away, saying, well, then, Ill
have Pink and Beauty.
Pink" was maltese, with cardinal
ribbon around her neck, and Beauty"
was pure white, with jaunty ribbon
of blue.
"And I'll have st. Bernard, too, can |
mammal" she said.
eyes, my DEAR" mamma said, IF
he'll be a gentleman, and not put his
great fore paws on the table, and only
speak when spoken to"
So Pansy was happy again, and ran OIL
to tell her pets of thei1 good fortune'and
to lecture them on good behavior.
l., Il hn 4 N
into bower Of beauty. Garlanded and
festooned with green, with cut flowers in
every nook, and mamma S choicest plants
placed here and there, it looked like q
glimpse into fairy land.
First in the order of exercises was the
coronation. After this the Queen was to
choose her maids of honor. Then her
Imperial Highness was to give orders to
her court according to her own sweet
will. All were to be subjects to Her
Maiesty's pleasure for the rest of the day.
dry goods box with papa's easy chair
on it furnished the throne, while smaller
boxes were so placed as to form steps.
Strips Of carpeting were laid over the
boxes and stairs, and the purple with n
gold border was thrown over the chair.
Beatrice and Maudie, with wreath Of
flowers, crowned the Queen, singing:
"Long live our beauteous Queen,
Bright be her reign"
And the little Queen responded.
"Flled with gratitude and love,
Fen to Him who reigns above
! accept the crown which now
You have placed upon my brow"
Then the sceptre, green flower stalk,
was handed her, and Pansy looked like
"trdly" Queen indeed.
Like an angel" papa said; and mann
mas eyes glistened, rs the little Queens
first act was to bound from the throne,
wind her arms about her mammals neck,
and whisper II love you best OF all, dear
mamma"
Beatrice and Maudie almost smothered
her with kisses, she was $50 sweet, and
then the aunties and all the cousins had
to be kissed before quiet was restored,
Then came the royal banquet, which was
a glory in itself. Pansy lit the four liz
tie wax candles that surmounted the
birthday cake, and the bunch Of pansies
among them began to futter, and open
their eyes wider and wider, as if they,
too, longed to offer congratulations to
this dear little Queen, their best friend.
Festoons of green dropped and trailed
round the edge of the stand, while the
cake itself looked like four snow-drifts
piled one above the other, with touch
OF summer on top.
Uncle Tom said it was sight to make
the 'inner man" smile for Joy. But
then Uncle Tom was n bachelor and like
most bachelors, you know, the the near.
est way to his heart lay through his
stomach
But that cake, wonderful as it was.
wasn't all of the entertainment, for it
was banquet worthy to have graced the
table Of any of England's fair Queens,
There were biscuit as light as blue
birds wing. Snowballs of Dutch
cheese; little round masses of amber
Jelly, snugly reposing each in its own
nest of puff paste; yellew peaches lazily
rolling in sen of molten gold; great
rosy-cheeked apples, with the sunshine