Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-02-24
TWO BIRTHDAYS.
"a Juvenile sketch.l

GA Juvenile Sketch.)
It was little Hilda's birthday; 1t
came on the twenty-second of Febru-
airy, which, as all you children know,
is George Washington's birthday also.
Little Hilda often said that she felt
very proud to have her birthday come
on the same day as George Washing
tons, and this year she had begged
her mamma to let her do something to
celebrate the two birthdays, and she
invited her schoolmates, twenty-five
in all, to spend the afternoon of that
day with her. At three o'clock the
children began to come.
ooh, see the big flag!" cried one lit
tie boy, and he and several of the 9TH
ers saluted the beautiful "stars and
stripes" hung over the front door OF
Hilda's house.
Hilda's little brother Fred met the
guests at the door; he wore little
suit made just like the uniform that
Washington used to wear.
He carried in his hand real cooked
hat that had been worn during the
revolution. 1t was great deal too
big for his little head, but no one
minded that, as he did not put 1T on.
The hall and stairway were trim
med with flags and bunting, and when
the children reached the parlor they
were much pleased and surprised to
be greeted by Hilda's mother, her
Aunt Annie and Hilda herself, dress
ed like the ladies of Washington's
time. The children thought Hilda's
mother made a perfect Martha Wash
ington.
The parlor was also trimmed with
flags, and there were several fine
paintings and engravings of Washing
ton and his family, and pictures of
and relics from his old home at Mount
Vernon.
The ladies talked to the children
little while about "The Father Of his
Country" and read them few short,
amusing and interesting anecdotes
about Washington and his time. Aunt
Annie sang and played some patriot
ic music, and very soon 1t was time
for the early tea, and the children
marched out to the dining room two
by two, keeping time to music, as they
had been taught to do at school.
Here the greatest surprise of all
awaited the children. In the center OF
the prettily decorated table stood a
cherry-tree about half a yard tall. 1t
was in a handsome pot, and the tree
was loaded with fine red cherries.
The children exclaimed with surprise,
and although they soon saw that the
cherries were candied ones, and fas-
tened on with pins, they were still
greatly pleased; around the flower-pot
upon the table, were cherries as
though fallen from the tree, and a
very shining toy Ratchet lay close
beside, but no child wished to initiate
little George Washington by trying to
cut down this fine cherry-tree.
The dining room, like the others,
was gay with red, white and blue,
and large portrait of our beloved
George Washington looked down up
on the happy children.
At each child's place was tiny
flag, or tri-colored rosette, to pin on
dress or jacket, so the children soon
looked very patriotic.
I will not try to tell you of all the
good things they had to eat. There
were sticks of bread tied with tri-
colored ribbons at each plate; plenty
of candied and also preserved cherries
for all; a salad trimmed with beets
cut in fancy shapes and surrounded
with fresh violets to make as nearly
as possible the national colors; some
Washington pies, of course; and many
crisp cookies cut in perfect Ratchet
shapes.
Some of the plates used were very
old pewter ones, polished to look like
silver. There were several ancient
pewter tankards also on the table,
but more for ornament than for use,
and two Washington plates.
George Washington's health was
drunk many times by the children in
water, milk or cocoa. Various rid
dies, some original, were asked. One
boy, a great punster, asked: "Why
will the cherries never tell lie?'
Answer: Because they are so can
died."
After supper the children went
again to the parlor and spent short
time in talking and playing games.
Then all Joined in singing "Ameri-
oop with viOor and onthus;ocu, opd