Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-11-10

PRESENTS FOR CHRISTMAS.
Bessie,s Pleasant WAY of Making Sunshine
When 1T RaIned.

a yawn. II think rainy days In the coun-
try are just the horridest of anythingH'
out-of-doors everything was drenched,
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.
$50 horridr' said she. isn't ii, Bess?"
"Why, no, said Bessie, brightly; II
don't think it is
Bessie sat at mother window busy as
bee over 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?n asked
Maud, with sudden interest.
Bessie laughed and shook back her
hair, cut short. like 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 Amusement.
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 | make myself the
best; and when Christmas really comes
there's always so much TO do ! can't do
anything. It's real fun TO make 'em,
too, rainy days, when you can't do any
thing else, and when you hurt your
ankle and have to stay in-the way
did last week"
Miss Maud went straight over To Bees
sizes window. The unhappy little
frown was gone from her forehead. and
the corners Of her mouth were begin.
ming 10 lift
II think il would be fun" said she
Have you got any done? What're you
making? Don't You s'pose coulde"
"of course, if you want to-" laughed
Bessie. I've got some things done,
and I'm making cushion for Aunt
Says toilet table now. See?"
She lifted a handful of six-sided bits |
of stiff paper, and let them fiutter
down into her lap again like minia-
ture snow-storm.
"Humphl" said Maud "rd like to |
know whatever you're going to do with |
those things?"
"I'll show you" and Bessie pro
ceeded to cut a 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
I'm going to make the middle one
blue. said she.
Now what?" asked Maud
Bessie's scissors shipped and her
needle flew, until presently she had six
little drab silk hexagons beside her
blue one. I'm going to make the next
row around drab,r said she
How did you learn?" asked Maud.
"Prudy Palmer" said Bessie: and
then she began to sew. with dainty
short stitches, her six drab hexapons
round her blue one. ats over and
over, just like my patchwork" said she.
Now the next row I'll make blue,
and when | get it large enough I'll
cover the top of cushion with it. and
make the under side of blue, and rufie
some blue ribbon round it. and give il
to Aunt Say Christmas; and she'll hold
up both hands and say: Perfectly
lovelyr" How Bessie's black eyes
sparlSled with funl
Mand
well, you can said Bessie. .and
twill be lot more fun if there are two
of us. I'm going to make sofa-pillow
for grandma, just this way only bigger
pieces, and stuff it with life-everlast-
ing. Theirs lots of it in the pasture"
Now it was Mauds turn to laugh. be-
cause it sounded so funny to talk about
stuffing pillow with life-everlasting.
you know"
Let's look at your other things. f"
said she; and Bessie obligingly skipped
away upstairs. to return almost in the
same minute with a tiny mahogany ,
box which her Uncle Ned had brought
to her once upon time from over the !,
sea. and which always formed a part Of
ler luggage whereversh went.
Now. what's this9" asked Maud.
presently. and who is it for9"
Its for papa" answered Bessie.
i'and it's a shaving-boolT !,
Because its so thin?e
.oh, no.. But it was thin enough.
although it contained fifty-two pages
me for each week in the year, of soft. |
white paper. The covers were of per
GRATED paper. white, too. and lined
With scarlet silk. and bound with scar {
ct ribbon, and tied at back and front |
With scarlet bows, and there was a
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