The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-08
A BIRTHDAY PARTY.
Miles Plan, and tho Happiness 1t Brought
to Two Little Girls.

to Two Little Girls.
''lf you please, Auntie Nell'-
AT sound of the beseeching voice,
Auntie Nell glanced out of the open
window, and up to the swinging ham,
mock between the elms, where Mile
was knitting ten times round on her
own little scarlet stocking to the music
of robins song.
Il wish-yOu SEQ Auntie Nell
Mrs. Green said her Polly is going to be
nine years old tomorrow, and | most
know she never had birthday party,
or present. or any thing, and she's lame
and every thing, and has to stay all
alone while her mother goes off wash
ing for folks. And l just wish-oh,
please, Auntie Nell can't I make her a
beautiful little sprise supper, and carry
it to her for her birthday, please?"
The pleading voice was very earnest
and eager now, and the little round
face peeping through a swaying elm
Dough, was earnest and eager, too.
Auntie Nell smiled. Il would like
to say yes, Mile, but l am afraid
Norah will be too busy preparing our
lunch-baskets for the excursion to help
you"
But 10 Auntie, can't l have some
of Norah's dough, and make things all
myself? l won't want lot; only, may
be, some tarts and pies bout as big as
your grownup tarts, Auntie Nell, and
dear little seed-cakes, and frosty-cakes
with lots of plums, and sandwiches and
marmalade, and some of my bank
money to buy candy and nuts; and, o,
Auntie Nell, how nice every thing will
be!'
The hammock trembled and shook
until itspilled Mile out
"And needn't bother Norah only to
tell me little" she said, coming un-
der the window.
''You may ask her." said Auntie Nell,
laughing.
Norah stopped to give Mile floury
hug. cts av coorse I'll show We, an
give ye bits o me pastry" she cried,
with twinkle of Irish fun in her eye.
''Bless its lovin' hearth
So Mile, with big kitchen apron
reaching from chin to toes, patted and
rolled and crimped and cut and twisted,
at one end of the long table, just as
Norah rolled and patted and crimped
and cut and twisted at the other.
What fun it was!
ats just like
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake bakerman,'"
laughed Mile, peeping over Norah's |
shoulder into the oven.
Well, and there were tarts, puffy and |
delicious, and into each one, when |
baked and cooled, Norah put dot of
Jelly; sweet, crisp cookies; seedcakes, |
brown and spicy, cut out with one of |
grandmamma's wee, old-fashioned wine
glasses; dainty, scalloped cakes, ''all |
plummy and iced and spiced," and or
namented with sugared caraway, red
and white; trim little saucer-pies, done
just to turn.
1t may be that Norah had finger in |
them. What do you thinke
At nightfall, Mile, tired and happy,
put little scarlet face in at the sitting
room door, and with a small sigh of re-
lief said:
'Its all done, Auntie Nell, and |
don't b'lieve to-morrow'll ever comem
But it did; it always does, you know;
and when she had eaten her breakfast,
Mile shook out a handful of pennies
from her little red bank, and scam
pered off down the street to Maam
Whitney's candy shop.
81 want the very best and sweetest of
all you've got" she laughed, humping
her two fists full of the jingling coppers
down on the trim counter. "It's for
Polly Green's birthday"
"Ahr' said Ma'am Whitney, pleas
nntly, as she went on weighing out pep
PERMITS and kisses and gooseberries;
and do think Mile got little better
measure than ever before, with two bar
ley-sugar elephants thrown in.
Then, as Mile and her basket OF
goodies were going through the hail.
Auntie Nell came out of the sitting
room with book and box of lovely
scrap-pictures in her hands.
"For Polly's birthday-gift," she said,
and Mile danced all the way to the
gate, she was so pleased.
And what do you suppose Polly did