Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-14
pigeonhole for consolation, VIII


grandma said:
NELLY, l think Aunt Bessie and /
will go home with you and make q
visit. 1t Is so pleasant in the country
now
Nelly reached home the next even
ing. and, being very tired, she went to
bed soon after supper.
Next morning, at breakfast she no.
ticed that they were all smiling, as if
something nice were going to happen.
Mr.. Ashford pushed back his chair
from the table without waiting for
either his second cup of coffe or his
newspaper and cigar, and said:
Il want you all to come out into the
garden with me- to see some improve
ments I have been making"
Just as they went out of the door,
Nelly thought there might be sur
prise coming, and in another minute
she saw the playhouse. oh, my friend
hte housekeeper! How she half laugh
ed and half cried; and when her faith
er had given her the key, how she ran
to put it into the keyhole!
I wish you knew Nelly, SO you could
go and see that house for yourself. The
door opened into a tiny square entry,
and right in front of you was the fun
NEST little hat stand and umbrella
rack, and on either side were the doors
which led into the parlor and kitchen.
Inc pdflor was qusl DIS preILy as IL
could be. The bay window was a de-
light that Nelly had thought Of in all
her planning, and there were pretty
curtains. and the canary birds cage
hung b va new gilt chain in the mid
die just over a small table holding the
rustic basket of ferns and vines. In the
middle of the room there was the larg-
er table which Nelly had wished for. 1t
was covered covered now by a bright
cloth; but she found afterwards that
she could make it larger by putting
leaves In, just as they did the one in
her mothers dining room. 1t was ex-
actly right for tea parties.
Then there were three or four fold
ing chairs with bright carpet seats,
and one nice little rocking chair-just
the thing to get the dolls to sleep in
and small sofa covered with dark
blue. You will know that the carpet
Nelly had chosen was on the floor and
the picture grandma had given her was
hanging on the wall, with several 9TH
ers-a pretty one of Red Riding hood
among the number. Besides these,
there were some walnut brackets, with
little vases and statuettes, and on the
mantle piece little black clock was
ticking away with all it's might. All the
big dolls sat around in their chairs
and seemed to feel quite at home. The
very small ones were standing on
either side of the clock in a long row.
There were some bookshelves on the
wall, and some Of Nelly's books had
been brought out to fill them. There
was closet with shelves and drawers,
where the dolls clothes or anything of
the kind might be kept
Nelly said with shining eyes:
oh. I never thought of anything
half so nice as this. You are all so
good" And she told them over again
t1ar acy,tt he y; ,,lY
of to put in that parlor. They all sat
down while and then Mr.. Ashford
said it wouldn't do for young house
keepers to stay in the parlor all the
time, and she must give a little atten-
ton to her kitchen.
Now, 1t had flashed through Nelly's
mind few minutes before that this
playhouse of hers was SO daintily fur
nished that she couldn't have any of
her favorite cutters" as Bridget
called all such amusements as making
candy and washing the dolls clothes,
heading pins with sealing wax, or
"spattering." SO you may imagine her
satisfaction when she saw the other
ROOM
This was the kitchen as I have told
you, and here Nelly found little stove
with an oven and tea kettle, which
would hold at least quart Of water
Nelly was very fond of cooking, and
here was chance for her to do all
she liked. There was a low table and
some chairs, one of which--a little yell
low one-had belonged to her grand
mother when she was a child. What
do you suppose she would have
thought of such playhouse as that?
If you had looked around, you would
have seen all the things that one
needs in such a Kitchen broom and
dustpan and brush, Nelly's little cedar
tub. and a new clothes-horse about the
size of sawhorse. that Patrick the
coachman had made. There were little
tin pans. and-oh, dear mel can't
begin ITO tell you everything.
think the greatest joy was when
some one opened the door Of a closet,
and our friend found a new tea set
such dear tea set! with no end of
cups and saucers and plates.-and
dozen very small tumblers, and some
each Of the larger pieces, was such a
nice size and shape. On these there
We're flowers, and blue and gold
stripe round everything. I wish every
child knew was as lucky as Nelly
Ashford, and I wish you had seen what
hugging Aunt Bessie got on account
of this tea-set and the tablecloths and
napkins, which were recognized i'm
mediately, for these We're all her pres
ents. In the lower part of the closet
Nelly found store of provisions, and
must not forget to tell you that
among them We're jar of raspberry
jam and a whole box Of very good little
English biscuits. with which she in
stantly filled her pocket.
Don't you think Nelly Ashford ought
to have been one of the very best girls
in the world? l do, and l think she
tried to be. Who could be very bad
when she was so fortunate as this?
She asked her friends to stay and
spend the day with her, but they We're
wise enough to refuse; and just now
Nelly saw her best friend and crony,
Alice Dennis, coming up the avenue,
ard shouted to her from the door AL
ice had seen the playhouse; she had
been there nearly all the day before,
so it was no surprise: but you will be
sure that when the older people had
gone, and they were left to themselves.
there was no trouble in having a good
time.
Nelly kept open house for week or
two, and all her friends came to call.
rms. Ashford said she had to go down
to the garden herself and make cere-
monious calls. if she wished to see
Nelly. She was always considerable