The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-03-31
THE SURPRISE woRK-BAsKET.

lHE - u RI RISE W Ohh -bASNE l.
1t looked just like an ordinary work.
basket when Aunt Fannie gave 1t 10
Matte Pine. Matte was not very
well pleased with the present She
didn't like TO sew. The smile on her
face was not very bright when she
thanked Aunt Fanny for the pretty
red basket.
Many little girl would have been
delighted with such a basket. There
were needle cases, pincushions, shining
scissors and rolls of cloth in ii. In one
corner Matte found a silver thimble
that just fitted her chubby finger.
Have you used your new thimble?'
asked mamma several weeks after
Aunt Fanny had gone home. Il am
writing TO Auntie and should be glad
to say you use her present"
"Oh. mamma, just despise 10 sew.
Please don't say anything about the
basket: it's so nice 10 be out playing
now. When it's cold and stormy I'll
begin"
But when winter came there was
fine skating on the pond. taffy pullinss
and all sorts of amusements that
served as excuses for not using the
basket Spring came and still the bas-
ket was unused.
One day Mrs. Crawford came TO
spend the afternoon, and brought her
little niece to play with Matte.
After the girls had played together
for a while they sat on the shady porch
where the two ladies were sewing.
Presently Nellie united package she
had brought and took out a dainty
piece of needle work that she was
making for her mamma.
That's very pretty, my dear" said
Mrs. Pine. Have you worked on it
long"
"Only since | have been here" said
Nellie smoothing out the pretty square
of lace and lawn.
Nellie can hemstitch very nicely"
said Mrs. Crawford. "She made me a
beautiful towel last Christmas
is it very hard to hemstitch?" asked
Matte. She was thinking how nice it
must be to be able to make presents
| like that
Not a bit" said Nellie "If you have
of toweling | could show you right
now. 1t is easier 10 begin on some-
| thing coarse
There is a piece OF toweling rolled
up in the basket Aunt Fanny gave
me-" said Matte. running up stairs
to bring down the neglected gift
| s.,b
together had become very rusty, and
| Mrs. Pine had to pull it cut with a
| pair OF pincers. Matte was very
| much ashamed but that could not be
| helped now. There were rusty spots
on the white linen. The spots looked
! bad when the piece was unrolled.
! But the oldest thing was that out
of the roll of toweling came the pref
tiest little gold ring you ever saw. 1t
had lain hidden in the roll for more
than a year.
"Oh, OH" cried Matte. rummaging
in the red basket, which had suddenly
become Of great value in her eyes.
Il wonder if there is something in
these other rolls"
"No. Matte said Mrs. Pine as her
! little daughter began to unroll one.
Not until you have finished one piece
of work can You open another You
see Auntie wanted to know if you were
using her present
It took n long time to discover all
the surprises in the basket, for Matte
was slow in learning to do good needle
work. At last she finished the towel
and was ready to begin on the cushion
cover that was rolled up in the bas-
ket She opened it and out tumbled
| three bright dimes.
There seemed to be no end TO the
surprises. Matte is sure that when
the basket needs a new lining she will
find a new treasure under the red silk
Aunt Fanny sewed in. But Aunt
Fanny only smiles when Matte asks
her about it.-Adapted from Our Little
Ones.