The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-02

see how untidy it is. l do wish
mamma did not think little girls
ought to keep their rooms busted,
and pick up their things after they're
done playing. All! look at that great
weed growing so near that beautiful
white lily"
The weed was removed with little
fingers, which took tender care not to
disturb the roots of the queenly lily,
And then Patty looked up, and
smiled very loving greeting to
bluebird which chirped above her in
the branches of tree.
"There you are, you little beauty!
Are you singing to this lily7 Of
course you are. You sing to the
flowers. all day, don't you9"
And off went the little lassie into
train of fancies as to which flowers
she would sing to oftenest if she
were bird, springing up at length
to say, "But / must be sweeping up
the arbor."
She ran for the broom; and, as she
hurried back, her little friend Jessie
came down the garden walk.
"Ahl there you are Jessie. I'm glad
to see you. | was just going to sweep
this arbor, but it car wait until you
60"
The sweeping of the arbor would
not have taken more than five min
utes, and Patty felt little prick of
conscience as she led the way to an
other part of the large, pleasant gar
den. But she quoted it with the re-
Election that it would not be polite to
work when she had company, and
that, of course, mamma would not
wish her.
They played croquet for while,
and then made dolls of daisies and
hollyhocks. When they had long
row of the flower maidens, Patty
thought it was full time for the treat
which had been promised, and, ex
cusing herself to her friend, she ran
into the house.
Hasn't mamma come yet?"
"No," said Jane.
Dear me, Jane, can't you give me
something nice for tea with Jessie?"
81 don't know, I'm sure" said Jane,
good naturally. To-morrow's baking
day; and there's nothing much in the
house now, for we are to have hot
biscuit for tea by and-by."
Not bit of that cocoanut cake?"
"Not a Bit" said Jane, going to
look.
There was little this morning,
know"
Jane did what she could for her,
and Patty returned to the garden
with piece of apple pie, some crack
ers, and little currant jelly-a very
poor sort of tea, she thought, and
wondered more and more how NAM
ma could have neglected to see to it
when she had promised. Mamma
was famous for getting up nice little
treats when Patty's friends came, and
it was easy to see that Jessie was
rather surprised.
Patty's mother came home a few
minutes after Jessie was gone, and
Patty met her at the door with very
mournful face.
II suppose, mamma" she said,
"that you put off fixing my nice little
tea until you came back. But it's
too late now, for Jessie's gone"
Mamma smiled at Patty's injured
tone, and asked, did you dust your
room, dear?"
mo, mama, went to water my
pansies, snd"-
"Dld you clean up your paper IN
the arbors"
mo, ma'am, put it off because
Jessie came"
"Well, | think you had better go
at once and do them"
Not one word of regret for the me-
elected afternoon tea.
Patty went up to her room and be-
gan busting.
What was that behind her toilet
cushion? A game for which she had
been for some time longing. There
it had been all the afternoon. when
it would have been such delight to
try it; for they had become tired of
those flower dolls.
She put her room in good order,
and then went down to the arbor.
An unfolded napkin lay over some
thing in the seat, and Patty lifted it
up to see what it might be hiding.
sob, my"
What dainty lunch lay on the
little tray! The last of the cocoanut
caka WAS there with ,,acaroonS and