Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-05-03
Papa's Dove.

study very much, but they learned colors
and shapes, they marked on states aud wove
mats with bright strips of papers, they sang,
and went through pretty gymuastic exer-
cises, built with blocks and played games.
Nannie's brother, Johnny, went there too,
but he was older and could do harder things.
One day the teacher taught the youngest
ones how to prick pretty shapes on stiff pa
per, and she told them they might work
some of them with worsted for little presents
for their parents. Nannie's heart beat with
expectation.
"Oh, hope can work mine hope l
can work minel" she thought; "and then
I'll give it to papa"
She had pricked the outline of dove,
from an easy pattern, on her card-paper.
The holes were little irregular, but there
was the true shape of dove, and you could
see the bill and the legs plainly. The teacher
passed around looking at the different cards.
"You may work yours, Mamie she said.
"What color would you like TO take for it 2"
cred !" said Mamie promptly, with
very bright little face. Oh, how pretty she
meant to make that dove for papa She
could hardly keep the secret when she came
home that night. She sat in his lap and
whispered
~ NOu iihC dpNco, papa
Yes, indeed " said papa, rather absently,
and trying to read his paper while he held
his little girl.
"Msybe you'll have one sometime" chat
tered on the happy child.
"Where could keep it ?" asked papa
"Oh, in a book Not live dove, but
worked on a card" and here Mamie checked
herself, "Oh, almost told aud its secret,
papa"
The next day in school Mamie begun it.
A needle was given her threaded with red
worsted, aud she learned how to draw it
back and forth through the holes She was
so unused TO hard work that it seemed very
hard to her, but it was for papa, and she
tugged away at it, with flushed face ani
anxious eyes. Three or four times the
teacher had to thread her needle for her, it
was 80 queer about getting unthreaded, and
once the worsted broke and had to be
mended. She only made the back of the
dove that day; it was all she could do.
Johnny was doing something wonderful.
He was enclosing little card jewel box
for mamma. 1t seemed very wonderful in
deed to Mamie that he could do it; but
after all it couldn't be prettier than a dove,
papa's dove. That night she asked papa as
she climbed on his knee
~ 10 you ike req QOVeS, papa
Yes, think red doves must be beauti-
full" said papa, and Mamie drew long
breath Of satisfaction.
al know something papa, but it's Sc
cret," she said happily.
The next day she worked the head, and
the next the tail, but each time she grew
hot and flushed over the work, for the
worsted did not always pull through easily,
and knots came, and the needle wasn't
smooth any more. But each day the dove
looked so much prettier that Nannie's little
heart was full Of happiness.
"Papa's dove is so pretty, mamma" she
said TO mamma, who was in the secret.
But the next day Mamie came home from
school with slow step aud heavy eyes, To
mamma's anxious questions she replied that
she didn't have good time at school, aud
felt tired so mamma told her some stories
and comforted her. The following morning
Mamie did not want to go to school, and when
mamma called her to put on her little cape
and hood she began to cry.
"Are you i'll 2" asked mamma; "does
your head ache ?" "Noi" said Mamie,
slowly. "No mamma, but | don't want
to 60"
But why ?" asked mamma, surprised.
The teacher will scold me-" she said in
low voice.
"Scold you for what, darling ?" persisted
mamma.
"Papa's dove |" said annie, with quiv-
ering lips. "l've spoiled papa's dove
The needle went through so hard, and it
tore the paper along the holes, right in the
doves breast"
Didn't the teacher see it 2" asked
mamma.
"No, mamma l slipped it under the
table when she went by, and then it was
time TO put the work away, and laid it in
the box But she'll find it when she takes
the work out to-day and I'm afraid she'll
scold. Aud | feel so bad, mamma because
papa's dove is spoiled"
"Maybe it isn't" said mamma kissing
her poor little girl. And know the teacher
won't scold, because such things often hap
pen with little children. Big people know
ways to mend great many things that
little people think are spoiled, and maybe
the teacher can mend your dove. an
write little note for you TO carry"
Mamie stopped crying, and took the note,
feeling good deal better, but still sorely
troubled for fear papa's dove would never
be pretty any more. The teacher read the
note with a smile, and helped repair dam
ages as well as she could, giving Mamie, a
bright new needle, and fresh worsted. BY
the end of the week the red dove was done,
and the teacher trimmed the edges of the
card and gave it TO Mamie Johnny had
finished his box for mamma, and the two
children planned to lay their gifts by their
parents plates New Years morning. They
did so, but they could not wait for breakfast
to be ready, and they coaxed papa and
mamma to the table half an hour too soon,
eager TO see their surprise and pleasure.
ado you think it's pretty, mamma ?"
asked Johnny, as mamma, delighted, took
up the little embossed case.
"And do you think your dove is pretty,
papa 7" said Mamie, eagerly. 81 made it
for you all myself, and you don't mind be-
cause it's little bit torn, do you :"
"Mind like it all the better |" said
papa, kissing the sweet, little loving face.
And now mamma keeps her rings in her
pretty jewel-case and papa uses the red dove
for book-mark. He loves every stitch in
it for his little daughters sake, and most of
all the torn spot that shows how her small,
toiling fingers Numbered in their loving
task.-M / Branch, in Companion.