The Advocate and news., 1898-09-28
READING
BY mAsLE Dlccs.

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she-but we will leave her for the story
that Aunt Caroline told us one rainy
evening.
We spent happy summer at Uncle
Philips, and after returning home could
talk of nothing but the time when we
would go back in the winter. We al
ways had great times in the winter play
ing In the attic. The attic was the largest
place and contained nearly everything
Edmund and | had built a stage at one
end and there we held our operas. There
we're boxes and boxes Of things that
just suited for our entertainments and
into them we would dive and bring out
all kinds of things. Uncle Philip told
us we could do as we pleased up there,
so we made good use Of our time and
enjoyed ourselves to our hearts content.
Mary and Mildred could cut and sew,
and with their help we had dresses for
everything, and some Of the things We
found were a deep source of pleasure to
us. There were lovely dresses Of satin
and silk, hats covered with plumes and
shining buckles, slippers to match the
dresses, dainty little slippers they were,
too, with little silver and gold buckles
on them some covered with beautiful
colored glass stones. There were mems
clothing, tOO large felt hats turned up
on one side, long coats which fastened
with jewelled clasp around your throat,
silk stockings and patent leather Slip
pers, knee pants Of velvet, swords and
daggers, all blunt of course, but never
theless OF great value to us. There were
powdered wigs, also, but most Of them
were about ready to fall to pieces. Mary
got some paste and patched and fixed
them up so they could be worn. We
found in one box an old guitar and
few other musical instruments, which we
tried to make useful in our plays. Wheth
er Uncle Philip would like for us to
haul all those old dresses and things to
light and use them as we wished we did
not take the trouble to find out He had
told us to do as we pleased and we took
him at his word. One winter evening,
after tea, we all scrambled up to the at
tic as fast as we could, for we had some
thing new on hand. Mildred, in search
ing around in large box, had come
across small trunk, and not being able
to lift it had called to the rest OF us to
COAuG dud uClP ALLCA 6OLtAh6 ~ pub
we could not get 1t open, and while Won
dering what we should do were admir-
ing the workmanship. It was beautifully
carved and had bronze trimmings on 1t.
Mary and Mildred were crazy over 1t,
nearly, and we boys were as curious as
they were to find out what was in it,
so after working around it for short
time we agreed to pry it open, and, at
last, after many efforts the lid sprang
open and we were quite surprised at the
things we saw. First was a sheeny satin
covered with priceless lace and jewels,
the most beautiful dress had ever seen;
and such exclamations Of delight as the
girls sent forth would have drowned ours
IL we had made any, so we stood and
looked wonderingly on as they took 1t
out Of It's silk wrappings and spread 1t
carefully on the stage. Next came the
underclOthing and such dreams Of lace
ruffles and ribbon as they were!
"Oh, where in the world could Uncle
Philip have found all Of these?" Mary
cried Aren't they lovely We must
see what else there Is, though" she add
ed diving down into the trunk again.
Up came slippers and stockings of the
finest satin and silk, handkerchiefs of
beautiful lace, fans, rings, bracelets and
dozens of other things which please the
feminine fancy. A large hat was in
separate compartment, and the last, but
not the least, was something wrapped in
heavy paper, which reused our curiosity
more than ever, for 1t was a picture;
that we knew by the shape Of the frame,
SO OF came the paper, and as We un-