The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-07-31

/ dJ lcI OWN DOlUutSS, lull VI udUpy
excitement in the thought OF what she
was planning; the first Christmas gift
she had ever made in her life, and that
for no less parsonage than the minis
ter's wife and the mother of the minis
ter's baby!
1t was great undertaking, and re-
quired all of Belinda's small stock of
courage; but for once fortune favored
her. She heard company" in the parlor
as she came into the house; she recog-
nized the loud, voluble tones of Mrs. Car
penter; person who always made long
calls and talked all the time herself. Be
| linda was almost sure of an hour undis-
| turbed; the work was all done up and it
never took over five minutes to set out
the very spare teas which were the fashion
at Miss Skureman's house.
So she stole up to the small room where
she slept, took out the little petticoat
from her trunk, and going softly down
into the kitchen soon had it ripped up.
rinsed in warm suds, and hung behind
the stove to dry. Then she put on an
iron to heat, and by the time it was hot
the skirt was ready to be pressed.
1t looked ''amaist as well as new''
when it was all smoothly ironed, and Be-
linda made haste to cut it up into suit
able pieces and lay them together so as
to make good thick holder.
By this time Mrs. Carpenter was taking
her departure, and this was Immediately
followed by a shrill summons from above.
"You B'lindy! What on earth are you
a-wastin time for, pottering in that
kitchen? When are you a-comin' to set
the table for tea?"
But when the supper was eaten and
cleared away, and Miss Skureman had
settled herself with the evening paper,
Belinda ventured to get out her bits of
scarlet cloth and, sitting well back in the
shadow of the lamp, began to stitch
! them together. Miss Skureman was too
much interested in some spicy gossip she
had come upon to take notice for awhile
| of what her little maid was doing; but
the instant her hawk-eyes caught the
CLINT of the brightcolored scraps she
bounced upon her.
'tWhat sort of trash is that you're a.
foolin' your time away with now, Be
lindy?" she demanded, sharply. BABY
RAGS! for gracious sakel Put 'em away
this minute, and get at your knittin'-
work. Do you want to go barefoot this
winter?'
"Oh, please, Miss Skureman!" entreat-
ed Belinda, made bold by her strong de-
sire, 81 toed off that last stockin' last
night, and these amt baby rags; know
I'm too big for doll babies. It's only an
| iron-holder I'm maxim out o. my little
red petticoat."
"An iron-holder!" repeated Miss
Skureman, surprised, but rather pleased
than otherwise. ''Well, it's wonder
you'd thiuk of anything that had so
much sense in it. It's high time you was
a-learnin' to sew, though; you ought to
be able to help me with those pesky or
phan things have to do because every
body else does"
SHY sakes alive Anything else that
ought to do?" thought Belinda; but
what she said was:
"Would you mind Just shown me that
cdt-teeth stitch, then, you called it, you
was a-doln' on your fannin's yesterday?
/ think it would look real pretty round
this red, specially if had some yeller
silk"
'Pshaw! that's all ridik' lous nonsense,
putin such fummery on an iron-holder!
However, as long as you've took such
notion to learn to use your needle, 1T
won't do no hurt. Bring a scrap and
come around here, and watch how do,
and mind, now, be smart. l amt a-golR
to waste the whole evenin' on you"
Eager to give her little gift a touch of
decoration" Belinda bent all her pow
ers to the acquisition of the art of "cat-
teething."
In little while she had learned to do
it, as Miss Skureman said:
'"Well enough for an iron-holder"
And then she added, to Belinda's
amazement and delight:
81 think likely there's some yeller silk
'mongst them skeins in my basket, and
s'pose you can have some OF 1T, though
it's nonsense all the same"
The next two hours were the happlest
Miss Skureman's little maid had spent in
two long, hard years, since she had been
her ''victuals and clothes help. She
stitched away with all her might, and
when her poor little bit of work was hin
ished, the effect was enchanting to her
.unsophisticated eyes.
''She can't help thinkin' it's pretty, If
do say it myself, was her very exult,
ant thought. 81 don't believe that / need
to feel a bit ashamed of it when see it
put alongside the Others"
There was not much of holiday air
about Miss Skureman's house on Christ
mas eve, which was the next day but one.
A couple of very plain mince pies, sim
gle skinny chicken, and pan OF tough
looking doughnuts were the extent OF
the preparations, and there was nothing
to make the long, dull afternoon differ
ent from any other.
When Belinda's work was done up and
it was still an hour before tea-time, she
got her courage to the point of asking
permission to go out for little while.
81 don't see any good of it, wearing
ont your shoes, and maxim yourself dis
contented starin at the foolish things In
the shop-windows," was the answer she
got.
"Oh, no, ma'am that isn't it," pro-
tested Belinda. ~ don't mind the shop
windows. know it amt no USE just
want to go up to the parsonage minute
toto"
''To what, prayP What business have
yOu got at the parsonage?"
"Just to give the minister's wife that
iron-holder l was a-makin' for her."
stammered Belinda, turning very red.
"The iron-holder you've been maxim
for herr repeated her mistress in her
shrillest voice. ''Well, If that don't beat
all ever heard in my life! Do you sup
pose I'd ha' been spendin' my time an
a-wastin' my sewin' silk in fiummydiddle
iron-holders for other PeOpleg OF all the
deceitful, ungrateful-and just been a.
.buyin' new calico frock foryou, too! 1t
would serve you right if sent it straight
back to the store, B'hndy Bassettl"
Belinda stood overwhelmed by the
storm that she had unwittingly brought
down on her head.
"Why, never dreamed as you would
want the holder" she faltered. There's
two or three now that's never been used,
To- Ia olo WI
was such foolish lookin' oneI'
$50 az Ia fooliah-lookin, like the one