The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-11-02
PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS.
Bessie's Pleasant Wav of Making Sunshin
When 1t Rained.

Bessie's Pleasant Wav of Making Sunshine
When 1t Rained.
'It's SO lonesome!" sighed Maud, with
a yawn. 81 think rainy days in the coun-
try are just the horridest of anything!"
Out-of-doors everything wasdrenched,
and still the rain kept falling. In the
road the water stood in dimpling pud-
dies, and little brooks raced merrily
along the cutters; the maple trees were
dripping, and not bird would sing;
the roses in the garden looked washed
out and discouraged, and the morning
glories had shut up. Altogether, Maud
was hardly to be blamed that she felt
out of humor, and so stood at window
pouting M
$50 horrid!" said she. 'Isn'tit, Bess?"
"Why, no." said Bessie, brightly; 81
don't think it is.
Bessie sat at mother window busy as
a bee over a box of gay-colored bits OF
silk and worsted and perforated paper.
Maud was Mrs. Mayhew's little girl,
and Bessie was Mrs. Bakers little girl,
and they were both out at Grandma
Testers.
''What're you doing, Bess?" asked
Maud, with sudden interest.
Bessie laughed and shook back her
hair cut short, like a boys, and curling
in crisp little rings all over her head.
'I'm making things for Christmas"
said she.
"Things for Christmas" echoed Maud,
in great amazement.
81 mean Christmas presents" ex-
planned Bessie, laughing still In point
of fact, there was almost always a
laugh hiding behind the red lips of
Mrs. Bakers little girl ready to burst
forth at the slightest provocation.
''Papa and mamma and Aunt Say and
Uncle Ben and all our folks say they
like to have things I make myself the
best; and when Christmas really comes
there's always so much to- do d caa't do
anything. It's real fun to make EN-,
too, rainy days, when you can't do any
thing else, and when you hurt your
ankle and have to stay in-the way I
did last week"
Miss Maud went straight over to Bes-
sizes window. The unhappy little
frown was gone from her forehead, and
the corners of her mouth were begin
ming to lift.
II think it would be fun" said she.
''Have you got any done? What're you
making? Don't you s'pose could?"
"Of course, if you want to-" laughed
Bessie. "rve got some things done,
and I'm making cushion for Aunt
Says toilet table now. See?"
She lifted handful of six-sided bits
of stiff paper, and let them hutter
down into her lap again like minia-
ture snow-storm.
"Humph" said Maud. ''I'd like to
know whatever you're going to do with
those things?"
"rll show you," and Bessie pro-
ceeded to cut bit of silk a little
larger than one Of the paper hexagons,
which she covered with it. basting the
edges down neatly on the wrong side.
'Im going to make the middle one
blue" said she.
"Now what?' asked Maud.
Bessies scissors shipped and hel
needle flew, until presently she had six
little drab silk hexagons beside hei
blue one. I'm going to make the next
row around drab," said she.
Glow did you learn?r asked Maud.
"Prudy Palmer" said Bessie; ant
then she began to sew, with dainty
short stitches, her six drab hexagon'
round her blue one. ats over anC
over, just like my patchwork, said she
"Now the next row I'll make blue
and when I get it large enough III
cover the top Of cushion with it. ant
make the under side of blue, and ruff
some blue ribbon round it, and give i
| to Aunt Say Christmas; and she'll hol'
up both hands and say: 'Perfectl,
lovelyn" How Bessie's black eye
sparkled with fun!
"Oh, want to make one!" crie'
! Maud.
"Well, You cam" said Bessie, IAN,
twill be lot more fun if there are tw
of us I'm going to make sofa-pillov
for grandma, Just this way only bigge
pieces, and stuff it with life-everlast
ing. Theirs lots of it in the pasture.
| Now it was Maud's turn to laugh, be
cause it sounded so funny to talk abou
stufiing pillow with life-everlasting
you know"
Lets look at your other things,
said she; and Bessie obligingly skippe
away upstairs, to return almost in til
same minute with tiny mahogan
box which her Uncle Ned had brougf
to her once upon time from over til
sea. and which always formed part {
her luggage wherever she went.
"Now, what's this?" asked Mau'
presently, land who is it for9"
''It's for papa" answered Bessi
land it's shaving-book."
: Because it's so thin?'
, ''Oh, nor' But it was thin enough
: although it contained fifty-two page
/ one for each week in the year, of sof
: white paper. The covers were of pc
{ forated paper, white, too, and line
5 with scarlet silk, and bound with sea
, let ribbon, and tied ct back and frol
. ! with scarlet bows and there was