Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-03-07
ereHiug gematrat,
ONE AFTERNOON.
BY SYDNEY DAYRE.


doll, you see! I'm going to cut it out
just as soon as finish this sacque, so l
want you all to lay your heads together as
to how it is to be made"
A serious discussion on the weighty
subject followed. Sue and Helen and
Janet had come to visit Marian, and all
had agreed that the damp, cloudy No
Vember afternoon could be passed in no
way so pleasantly as in sewing for their
dolls.
Such big girls playing with dolls many
would say. Yes, their mothers were OF
the opinion that girls of twelve to four
teen might spend their time and talk with
many worse thing than dolls, and had
encouraged them to make good needle
women of themselves in that way. Cor
rect measurements, careful basting and
neat stitching were always insisted upon
in every piece of work.
Marian skipped down to the kitchen to
press Janet'si sacque, and as she care
fully opened the seams, wetting them a
little, was startled by sound which did
not appear to belong there.
"Why, Bridget, what's this?" she
asked, in wonder, going up to two chairs
which stood against the wall with their
backs turned out, "Oh, what a cunning
fellowW
"Indade, miss, its just kapin' him here
bit l am the whites me sister rims round
thryin' to get days wurrucks, for its her
silf has no one to be LAWN him wild but
the two at home that's not much bigger
than himself at ALP
'The darling! I wonder if he'll be
afraid of me-" She raised the year old
baby, who had been smiling up at her
from Bridget's shawl, laid on the
two chairs, delighted that he did not
seem to object to her attentions.
"Dear me! Why-isn't he cold? Look,
Bridget, do you think he's got enough
clothes on?"
To her surprise Bridget sat herself
down in the middle of the kitchen floor
and cried
''Niver bit he has. The father-rest
his poor sowl was kilt wurrikin' on the
railroad tin weeks come Saturday night,
an it's mesilf hasn't the wan clint lift
afther the payin' for the bringin' him
here where the mither might get wurruck
and it's all she can be doin' yit to put
the bit in their mouths and pay the rint
O. the room, lave alone clothes-an' the
winters comm fast-the poor crathurs !"
A sob came between every sentence, as
Bridget wiped her eyes and shook her
head in woeful absorption in her sisters
trials.
"Dear me! Don't cry, Bridget.
Things'll come out right, ]. know. Well
talk to mamma about it." Marian felt
very anxious to comfort her, but hardly
knew how. Bridget, want to borrow
the baby for a while"
Forgetting sacque and fat-iron, she
hurried up stairs, with a few refec-
tons on the different things winter
means to different peeple-to her, fan
nels and furs, skating, sleigh-rides and
warm fireside; to the poor-rags, suffer-
ing, cold and hunger.
"Girls, look here"
"A-baby!"
"a precious little curly-headed, cum
ming"
'Dimpled little darling! Do letme take
him, Martha"
"Stop! He's going to to cry; and no
wonder, with the chatting you all make
There, pretty! Bless him, see that little
lip 60 up"
"Herep' Janet stuck piece of candy
in his mouth, which acted like a charm
for he winked and blinked and sucked,
and smacked his lips, as if in great as
constituent and approval.
"Thats it! Now girls, look at this
child's Clothes" Marian took off an old
cape which was wrapped around him,
and listened to the ordinations which
came at sight of the thin cotton slip and
the bare little feet.
"And winter coming on. What are we
going to do about it?" a
After a moments reflections, Janet |
took her tape measure and passed it with |
a very business-like air around the baby's |
waist. then held up the piece of dress
flannel to show its liberal size.
Splendid! Girls, let's dress this baby.
He isn't so much bigger than our dolls"
There was chorus of enthusiastic
agreement. Helen looked at the clock.
"See, now, we have two hours and a
half before it gets dark. Let's take fif-
teen minutes for planning and then We'll
make things fly"
A very brisk discussion followed, and
then Marian made rush to her mothers
room returning shortly with bundle of
underwear which she had seen thrown
into the rag-bag as past mending.
az only thought of making shirts of
Them. girls" she said, measuring with
fingers dexterous with long practice, 'but
do look! there is plenty for petticoat for
the mite"
First half hour: "Shirts cut out and
we'll under way in Marian's hands. Pet
ticoats in Sues. Dress cut out and fitted.
Janet basting portions of it and working
-1,o..A a