St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-08-14
Hubby AIMS Birthday Party.
A story tor the Children,


dreadfully afraid Aunt Jane would find
out about 1.-THE secret, l mean. She
was sure the birthday would never be
thought of. The little girls father and
mother were dead, and she had lived
with her spinster aunt for nearly a
year. She thought Aunt Jane didn't
not, but possibly she was mistaken.
She had slipped out Of the kitchen now
on the sly, for fear she would be told
to sew patchwork or do ''stent'' on
the hateful stocking she was knitting.
She had other plans.
She was looking anXiously down the
road that led to the village. 1t wasn't
long before she saw what she was
looking for. They're coming" she
said excitedly She had been half
afraid they wouldn't come and the 9TH
er half afraid that they would. And
now there they were.
She made sure that no one was watch
ing before she ran to meet them-or it
for it was her party that she was eX-
pecting. That was Hubby AIMS secret.
She was to have a party, and Aunt
Jane didn't know the first thing about
it!
1t wasn't very big party, to be sure
only Hattie Larkin and her little sis
ter Fannie and the Foster twins. Hat
tie was a sedate miss of u, with blue
eyes and faxen braids. Little Fan
was bluer eyed, and her hair was flax
ener and hung in ringlets over her
chubby neck. Fan always reminded
Hubby Ann of an angel, though, of
course, she had never seen one The
Foster sisters, Kate and Lizzie, were
rosy checked, black eyed damsels of 10,
with closely cropped brown heads.
They (he twins were not in the least
angelic.
'I'm most afraid we're too early"
remarked Hattie, with a sidelOng
glance at Hubby AIMS brown calico
dress and sunbonnet.
The four visitors wore spick and
span light prints so stiff1y starched that
they fairly cracked when their wear
ers moved.
Hubby Ann noticed the glance and
blushed. ''No, you amt a mite too
early" she replied. 81 didn't dress up.
l. thought p'raps we might dig in the
sand heap"
The visitors looked at their clean
gowns and at each other. 81 didn't
s'pose folks dug in sand heaps at par
ties" spoke up Lizzie Foster. 81 s'pos-
ed they played games in the house."
"There are different kinds of par
ties" said Hubby Ann with dignity.
You see, she hadn't planned for
house party. Lets sit down under
the big elm an6 rest SPELL" she went
on. How she did wish she knew what
to do next! To tell the truth, she had
never been to a party in all her life,
II don't fink thith party 18th much
fun" lisped little Fan after the girls
had been sitting In awkward silence
for few moments.
"The party hasn't begun yet" an
swered Hubby Ann, nearly distracted
between her desire that her friends
should have jolly time and her fear
lest they should be espied by Aunt
James sharp eyes, Then she laughed
in relief as she caught sight of the
hired man driving out to the barn with
a great hayrack. She jumped up and
swung her sunbonnet. "Joel,' she
called, we want to go. Come along,
girls" she added to her companions;
"the party's going to begin"
Joel good naturally waited for the
children and tossed them into the big
wagon as though they had been so
many bundles of feathers. He climbed
in last of all and cracked the whip, and
away they went, the rack humping
and humping over hummocks and
stray stones, while the little folks
laughed and shouted with delight.
Such fun they had when the bayfield,
was reached, rolling in the hay, jump
ing into haycocks and once in awhile
making believe work by raking a win
row.
TITS just lovely party" the village
children declared when, warm and tired,
they sat down to rest in the shadow Of
the stone wall.
81 s'pose therell be 'freshments when
we get back to the house?" said Kate
Foster.
"I-I s'pose So" stammered Hubby
Ann. But I've got some luncheon
here" she FASTENED to say, producing a
tin pail which she had managed to
smuggle into the wagon from some
secret hiding place. ut amt much"
she apologized, raising the lid and dis
playing half dozen cookies with nick
ed edges, few pieces Of cake and gin
gerbread and a sorry looking quarter
of pie. AS Hubby Ann had been say
ing up this spread from her lunches of
the past week, it could not be expected
to have very fresh appearance. But
tn party" was too hungry to be over
particular, and soon there wasn't a
crumb left.
"The next thing on the p'ogramme,'
announced Hubby Ann, sis to go up
Chapman lane and pick blackberries.
know where they're thicker'n spatters.'
The visitors seemed to be little
doubtful about this expedition. "There
might be snakes" objected Hattie.
"Why, 60 up there most ev'ry day
and never saw a snake there in al
my life" declared Hubby Ann, who