Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-25

\ | Wefu mou buOutv fN.
{ heart. But ell this want OF aons'uers.
ton is Just like Harriet, and ! ought
. not 10 mind il know.
, Sho went into the dairy to skin the
/ milk and to try to solve the dinner
{ problem. and after crying little more
| and carefully drying her eyes on o cor
ner Of her blue-check apron. she went
. back to the kitchen to find her sister
putting huge turkey all ready stuffed
, and ready for baking into the stove
oven. A large piece Of beef and q
spare-rib with plenty of vegetables
ready for the kettle, with cans OF fruit
and preserves, loaded the kitchen table.
Mrs. Holt did not say "Just like
Harriet at this sight, and that pleasant
and helpful woman went on to explain !;
IL thought we should enjoy eating
our Christmas-dinner together; so we
got everything in readiness last night
and this morning had only to load the
sleigh and drive along. 1t took us out
Of bed earlier than usual, to be sure;
but we all enjoyed the novelty of sur
prising you at sunrise
"It was very kind in you, ! am sure,
and you always do enjoy everything
and well you may, you have everything
to enjoy"
lit does seem TO me that you might
enjoy more than you do" replied the
sister, with her usual chcerfulness, as
Mrs. Holt, having seen the dinner ques-
ton we'll settled, bethought herself to
put on clean dress and collar and
kindle fire in the parlor.
Not until then did the boy visitors,
followed closely by their young cou-
sins, come from the evergreen hillside
back Of the mill with fresh little
spruce-tree, that they proceeded to SCI
up in tub, ballasted with stones, in
the middle of the big square parlor, as
if the making of Christmas-trees to
grow and to bear fruit was the most
agreeable business of their lives.
Mrs. Holt, busting about, was pres
entity saluted by three little maidens in
entire new suits, with hair hanging
| down their backs and tied back with
bright ribbons.
"Well well we'll :" she exclaimed,
fairly surprised out of herself for once.
"Can these three be my little girls? |
hardly knew you, and / certainly had
no idea you was so pretty" And she
failed again to say "Just like Har-
riet :"
81 think Aunt Harriet is like fairy
god-mother.' said the little Hattie,
''for just see how everything fits
and she had to guess at stockings and
shoes and ALL"
"You are each just the age and
very nearly the size of your cousins"
said the good auntie, "and ! fitted
your garments to them"
"And it was such fun" said Bert
"but mamma concluded at last she
would rather have us boys after all, so
we brought the new dresses to you and
you do all look nicely enough to pay
mamma for all her stitching, and us for
all our trying on"
Now just do up those old clothes
and send them to some needy family"
said Aunt Harriet. THE children
will not enjoy their new things so long
as they are expecting every moment to
be told to pat on their old ones again.
Here are large gingham-sleeved aprons
for them to wear when they are help
ing mamma"
81 know who would like the old
things" said Hattie. "Can we all 60
and carry them down back Of the mill
to Mrs. Harris, mammal"
Mrs. Holt gave reluctant assent,
and as she made another trip to the
pantry said to herself; Just like Har-
riet. The most unreasonable crea-
ture :" But her soliloquy was cut
short by Harriet herself, who said
81 thought you would have plenty
of eggs and milk for the pudding;
brought rice and sage and fruit and
sugar
"There is milk enough, +" interrupted
Mrs. Holt coldly; I" but the hens do
not lay very much lately and | am try
ing to get enough ahead to pay for
bottle Of cough medicine for father; he
has been out of it now for some days"
Harriet's eyes opened very wide.
" Out of cough mixture for some days."
she repeated, and walked straight into
the parlor where her father sat, propped
up with cushions in an easy-chair be-
fore the open fire.
GLOW did you like the silk handker-
chief l sent you yesterday" she asked
very gently.
Il didn't know that you sent one.
Oh, yes, guess did hear Julie speak
oft. You seem to have quite fancy
for sending me silk hankerchiefs.
think, though, that | never have seen
any Of them"
Harriet dropped into chair by the
! window, and for an hour looked quite
as dubious as her sister had looked the
morning before.
81 don't know what ] ought to do"
she was thinking. " ] never can eat
mouthful of dinner until / know the
truth. If it was not for father would
not stay in the house minute il would
leave without word of explanation"
Mrs. Holt, in passing back and forth,
glanced in at her frequently and
thought
81 don't care how badly she feels.
am glad she has found out to what straits
we are put in order to keep father COM
Portable. Perhaps she thinks it will
hurt her boys to eat pudding without
eggs, but it is what we are obliged to
do, or have no pudding at all. Knight
spread silk handkerchief over the dish
when l put it upon the table. Oh,
know what l will do :" and going
straight to her fathers room she took
the box Of handkerchiefs from the cup
board and, entering the parlor, said to
the three sitting there, for her husband
had now come in
1.-The tree looks very pretty, but
fancy it would brighten it up to hang
these handkerchiefs from the ends of
the twigs and branches. Here is the
one that came yesterday; the color is
gorgeous"
"Juliette Holt" said Harriet, in