Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-03-16
Saint Yarg's Beacon.
Jenny's Present.

maltese kitten In the other.
oh. Grace she cried. as she
reached the kitchen. Il have found
old Speckle backs nest. She's SIT
ting in an old barrel at one end Of
the cor shed
.Grsce is IN the sitting room,'
said Mira. Rule, who was at the
kitchen table, knesding biscui:.
i.AIma joyce is calling on her.
You had better 60 in ct once. Jen-
%; she has, been here some time
Jenny put down her basket of
eRgs. dropped the kitten behind the
stove. and sent slowly into the Sit
ting room. Alma joyce was the
oldest pupil in Mrs. Wrst's Sunday
school class. and lived in the town
o mile and = half asay. IL was she
who had proposed that the girls
should each give Mrs. West pres
ent on her birthday. Jenny felt
sure that she had called today to
talk about these glfts, and she
dreaded to meet her; for Jenny had
nothing to give.
Il had about given mp all hope OF
seeing you today, Jenny Alma
said. as Jenny entered the sitting.
room. 1--we oeen here more than
an hour
Il was ont in the barnyard,' re-
joined JENNY. Its my place to
look up the nests Of the setting hens
and keep the egg basket full
You look as il you'd been ont in
the barn. said Grace. Your hair
ia full of hayseed. Jenny; you ought
to have looked in the glass before
you came in
Il didn't think to, said Jenny,
'but never mind, l guess Alma will
excuse it.
oh, dear me ! yes. indeed, cried
Alma. 4 didn't come to criticise
the appearance of any one. Icsme
to see what you and Grace are GO
ing to give Mrs. West. have
painted u lovely little bahner. Il
10 little cnp:d on a messy bank.
| did il on bnlting cloth and ] am
going to hang il on strip of pink
satin. ] know she can't help lik-
ing it, for i, will be perfectly love-
lY. Susie Drew has made satin
pin-cushion covered with lace, and
Helen Shaw is going to give her a
handsome embroidered hand kerr
chief. Grace tells me she has Gro
cheted half dozen yards of lace.
Nov, what are you going to give,
Jenny?'
Il have nothing at ALL answered
Jenny, hesitetingly. Il have done
my best to think Of something, but
ID was of no use. / can iron and
bake, and clean up a room, sweep,
dust, and make beds, tut never
learned to crochet, and never made
piece Of fancy work in. nv life.
1T is too bad / said Alma as she
rose to go. i really think, Jenny,
that you might have made some
thing IL you had tried hard
st wouldn't have been worth Civ,
ing reioined Jenny. i am th.
worst hand at sewing or fancy work
you ever saw
Well, suppose it is no use "a
talk about the matter any more
then, said Alma. But it is real
disappointment to me, since it was
/ who started the idea Of giving heI
apleasant birthday. You'll ne sure
to go over and explain to her ~hJ
only Eve presents could BE- sent,
Jenny
Yes, I'll explain
Jenny's face wore q very sobel
expression when she went back into
the kitchen after walking with Aims
IS far as the gate, where she left
her to have q parting chat with
Grace. It did seem hard that she
shouldn't have some little thing "a
send to Mrs. West But it had
been agreed that the presents should
each be the work of the donor, and
that had settled matters for poor
Jenny from the first.
The tears came to her ewes on
Monday when she watched her sis
ter pack into little box and wrar
in tissue paper pretty 'clover leaf
edging she had made.
Twelve yards 7 said Grace. j
know Mrs. West will find my pres.
ent the most useful of all. hope
she won't put any of this mics edg.
ing on CLOTHES for the children. ]
mast tell her ! want her to use il