The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-11-21
BUB'S BIRTHDAY.

der which circumstances il was aston
ish;ng that Bub should have a known
birthday. He announced il 10 the
children at the sanitarium one bril-
liant July afternoon when they were
PLAYING catcher" over the great rae
ing ground and about the 'ladies'
lawn tennis"
''To-m1rrow will be my birthday" "
said Bah. with q sudden CLEAN in his
black eyes and the fiintest tinge of
blush on his brown cheeks. 'Ies, 10y
lingo. tomorrow will be my birth
day"
''How old will you be, Bub?" asked
Charley Dick, inquisitively.
Eight years oldr' cried Bub, throw
ing his cap in the air and springing for
il as it fell.
Tomorrow will be Bulbs birthday" "
coniided little Annie, running 10 the
matron and pulling her gown, in
friendly manner. Little Annie was
said to be the matron's pet, and 30, al
30, was Bub.
"Bub's birthdayw repeated Miss
Welsh. '.Well, Annie, We'll have 10
see TO itu'
Now, the birthdays Al the sanitarium
were very important affairs, and a
birthday got up in a hurry like Bulbs
was destined to be extraordinarily inn
portanI, for YOU see, everybody said,
'ff only lie had let Us know sooner"
and went hard 10 work to make up for
this remissness on the part of Bub.
And when everybody goes to work in
downright earnest, why, something
very fine Is sure 10 come ont of il; and
then everybody al the sanitarium was
fond OF Bub.
The matron went into the kitchen
ana said to the cook; AZ am going TO
make a cake for Bub's birthday. The
poor little fellow has suffered - much
here at the sanitarium that want him
10 have some rare pleasures also 10 re
member. | intend to make Buh's cake
eight layers high, a layer for each
year.
"An' I'm agoin' to meek a cake fer
Blb,n said the cook, "a marble cake
with lemon in the icin'n The cook.at
the sanitarium was very fat, and she
had red hair and = red face, and some
of the children laughed al her, but
Bub never did.
q Won't we have no theatricals nor
nothin' for Bulbs birthday" inquired
little Annie, pulling the natron's
gown. No singin' and sayin' piec-
es!!'
"Oh, we certainly must manage 10
get up an entertainment for Bub," said
Miss Welsh, laughing. "Who's ready
To help?r
All Of the children, twenty-four in
number, were eagerly willing, and
iuckily-for the entertainment, Miss Su-
sic, the head nurse, was willing, too.
"Bub's birthday exclaimed the old
gardener, digging his pick into the
ground and allowing ii 10 stay there
for a while ''The birthday o. that lit
lie fellow what come Yer with the
broken arm? My, I amt goin' fer to
let that birthday slip past unnoticed-
r..,a,,.l 81. ,l,.t,v. .,-r.n +ha .-,Ifnf..
Were 10 come off, and the little chap
never give a squeal." True 10 his
word, the gardner, early on the follow
ing morning, paused on his way TO
work, climbed with some difficulty, on
account of age and rheumatism, into
the red-heart cherry tree by the side Of
the pike, and filled a little tin bucket
with the delicious fruit.
"And may he see many and many a
birthday muttcreG the old man fer
yently, as his great boots gained Sc
cure footing upon the worn fence. ''The
splints We're tuck of that little shriv-
eled arm and niver a bit OF a SqueaI. I"
The grounds of the sanitarium were
large and we'll kept, and down at one
corner the green grass lost Itself in the
shade Of the green woods. Every al
ternoon in fine weather the children
ate their ) o'clock supper in the woods,
bat it was only now and then they sat
down 10 a birthday party.
The entertainment which preceded
Bub's birthday supper took place in
the long playground. 1t was de
lightful performance. "The three lit
tie maids at school was considered the
funniest piece. The little children
laughed and clapped uproariously
when the curtain for there was a cur
tain roSe upon the three little conva-
lesoents in caps and aprons, and Miss
Welsh, also laughing, had to tell them
waat 20 do. Indeed, everybody was
enjoying Bub's birthday, and every
boiy agreed that the affair was com
ing of great deal better than if they
had made lengthy preparations for it.
Then the twenty-five children, wheth-
er they knew how to sing or not, join
ed in the melodious choruses.
No, there was one person who did
not sing upon this honored and
honorable oecasion-that person was
Bub
A. the twenty-five children and Miss
Welsh and the five nurses Were MAX
iny their way toward the woods, wher
the cook ana the households had the
supper spread upon the stationery
wooden tables, who should come driv-
ing through the sanitarium gates bat
Mr.. Shafiar. the farmer. He, TOO, had
heard about Bulbs birthday, and his
old woman, as he called neat, pretty
little Mrs. Shaffer, had sent a lot of
fried chicken and flaky biscuits. and
cake, and a tumbler of her best cur
rant jelly, TO help along with the feast.
Ger children kin eat a heap when
they's in the woods and gifts excited" +"
said Mrs. Shaffer
Three cakes" whispered little An
nie, pulling the matron's gown. "Oh,
aint they nice.
"Iou must come To the party, Mr..
said Miss Welsh, after receiv-
ing all this addition of good things.
''Sit right down here beside Bub; that
Is the place of honor"
'Well, Dunno said the old man.
!, a-ftatsnarl,- ssft I,nf. Ia,f- ,.-.gs g.