The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-18


ders better than any one, and paints
almost as we'll as Murillo, and burns
wood Ike a kitchen stove, she felt tina.
she might as well put these talents 10
some purpose.
To this end she visited the shops ana
made purchases of materials. She
bought a centerpiece to work for a.
young married friend who certainly is
good 10 her" and some fine white stuff
TO make cuffs and collars fer Edith.
who years mourning; a plate rack TO
decorate pyrographicaIy for Mabel,
who is TO wed in the spring. and some
white plates to decorate with big gold
monograms for a fruit set for another
friend
These" said Belinda, surveying
them when she got them home. will
furnish occupation for my idle hands
for quite two months. At the end of
that time l will probably have received
a check from Uncle Robert. and viii be
able TO buy the remainder of my gifts
The check from Uncle Robert is a
pet delusionof Belinda's. She always
begins to believe 1t is coming whenever
she wishes to buy something on credit
and her conscience suggests the queS-
ton, Where VIII you get the money 10
pay for this?"
It is true that Uncle Robert did once,
in a sudden burst of generosity. send
her a check 0t was for $3.50, but it
has kept her poor ever since, for she
is arwas 5 remembering II ana spending
the anticipated one.
She undertook the working of the
centerpiece first, and she embroiders so
rapidly and so beautifully, too. that it
was finished in something less than
two weeks. 1t was an eXquisitely pref
~ thing-all American Beauty roses
and open work-and Belinda had just
secured the box TO put it in and the
ribbon TO tie it up when in to her came
one Of her mothers friends.
What have YOU there that's pretty,
dear?~ she asked.
Belinda took out the centerpiece,
proudly, and showed it
The nd-of-her-mother simply went
into raptures when she regarded L
through her lorgnette. Have you ever
seen anything more exquisite?" she
raved. Belinda, my child, 1 viii give
you $50 for it,
Now, Belinda is only flesh and blood,
and feminine flesh and blood at that,
and she closed the bargain before the
visitor could speak again. She regarded
this windfall as good as 100 checks
from Uncle Robert, just as one bird in
the hand is worth 100 in the bush. in
stead of a paltry two. She reasoned
that she could buy the young married
friend a present with part of the 81,
and spend the rest for other presents
After this she occupied herself with
the cuffs and collars. She hemstltv---4
them daintily. and didn't have the coll
lars a mile too long-as the bought
ones usually are-and the results of her
handiwOrk were so attractive when
they had been put away in violet sachet
powder and tied with violet ribbon out
of Difference to her friends mourning,
that she felt a little pang at having TO
dedicate them to that young person.
1t was exactly two days after she
had tied them up that Belinda. going
to the slums to do some mission sun
day school work. arrayed herself in n
severe black suit. It was vastly be-
coming to her straight. slight figure,
but 1t needed decoration. Percival was
to be there-she had roped him in her
self
After meditating deeply for mo-
ment, Belinda went up and got the cuffs
and collars she made for Edith and put
one set on. They We're intensely be-
coming, and as she pinned on her hat
it was with the consoling thought that
at least she could make some more in
few days.
Mabel's plate rack was a lovely thing.
1t was burned with design of grape
leaves and clusters of the fruit, and
colored in the natural tints. Belinda
showed it to every one, with the great
est pride. Then, one of her friends
marrying suddenly and Unexpectedly.
she gave it to her for a wedding pres
ent.
Yesterday some one. asked Belinda
when she meant TO begin the fruit
plates. with their big monograms.
Never replied the. heroine of this
story, with sudden vehemence. Never,
so long as l live, do 1 intend to make
another Christmas present. Something
always happens so that they don't go
to the person they were intended for at
all On Christmas eve am going down.
town with the check that | am sure
Uncle Robert VIII have sent me before
then. and buy something for each Of
my intimate friends. Then / know the
gifts viii not be diverted from their
original purpose"
But you have the $50 that you re-
.ceived from the sale of your center
piece. haven't you?"
No" said Belinda, slowly, l have
not. / bought a hat with that. But
feel quite sure that Uncle Robert will
send me a goodly sum before the oath,
and with this I mean to buy the fifty
seven varieties OF presents that il will
be my pleasant duty to give TO my rel
atives and friends.