The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-01-20
PANSY'S BIRTHDAY.

so much intelligence. We have bed of
them out in the garden, and, though
Pansy dearly loved the rest OF the gar
den flowers, yet she fingers longest by
the 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
with their pleading eyes, she says !:
Eyes, my dear little darlings, sister will
give you some water, and away she goes
for her little watering-pot."
But our little Pansy was to have a
''real truly birthday" all her own.
She had had these before, but the first
two happened when she was so much of
a baby that she had no remembrance of
them; and the next one came when she
was sick, so sick that We feared our dar-
ling's next birthday would be IN Heaven
among the angels. But God was very
good and permitted us to keep our treas
ure yet little longer. Pure country
air and warm drinks of unauthorized
milk had restored her to full health, and
she was now dancing around the house
again, in and out, like a little sunbeam.
Such blue sky And such golden
sunshine =! Flowers were blooming and
exhaling their sweet perfume; birds were
singing their sweetest songs, and every
thing conspired to render our pets fourth
birthday perfect one.
She wanted to invite "Jesus and Santa
Claus" cause they were her "best
friends" she said.
CO." said Beatrice, "Jesus wouldn't
come, for He never goes anywhere in the
body-Hes invisible
"And Santa Claus lives way off 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, and she brushed
them away, saying, well, then, Ill
have Pink and Beauty
Pink" was maltese, with q cardinal
ribbon around her neck, and Beauty"
was pure white, with jaunty ribbon
of blue.
"And I'll have st. Bernard, too, can I,
mammal" she said.
Eyes, my DEAR" mamma said, III
he'll be q gentleman, and not put his
great fore paws on the table, and only
speak when spoken to-"
So Pansy was happy again, and ran of
to tell her pets of their good fortune and
to lecture them on good behavior:
The back parlor had been transformed
into q bower of beauty. Garlanded and
festooned with green, with cut flowers IN
every nook, and mamma choicest plants
placed here and there, it looked like
glimpse into fairy land.
First in the order of exercises was the
coronation. After this the Queen was to
l. e
Imperial Highness was to give orders to
her court according to her own sweet
will. All were to be subjects to Her
Majesty's pleasure for the rest OF the day.
A dry goods box with papa's easy char
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
gold border was thrown over the char:
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.
"Filied with gratitude and love,
Zen to Il i'm who reigns above
accept the crown which now
You have placed upon my BROW
Then the sceptre, a green flower stalk,
was handed her, and Pansy looked like
struly" Queen indeed.
Like an angel" papa said; and NAM
mas eyes glistened, as the little Queens
first act was to bound from the throne.
wind her arms about her mammal neck,
and whisper Il love You best OF all, dear
mamma"
Beatrice and Maudie almost smothered
her with kisses, she was 80 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 lit
tie wax candles that surmounted the
birthday cake, and the bunch of pansies
among them began to hutter, and open
their ewes 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 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, Tor 1t
was banquet worthy to have graced the
table of any of England's fair Queens.
There were biscuit as light as q blue
r n.~A. -.