Norwich bulletin., 1912-10-05
PLANNING FOR CHRISTrIAS
What .55 Did for Family of Seven

The Allen family was a large one and there was always tree at the old homestead and also boxes to be sen. l to others who could not be at home for Christmas.
 Aunt Lucy and Uncle Lyman, who lived about five miles away, were al- ways among the guests and always contributed to the tree; but this year there had been unexpected expenses and money was scarce. They shared their house with a married son and one day Aunt Lucy surprised her | daughter-in-Iaw in tears. There was so little money for Christmas that she ! did not want to join the family party at Cousin Mans.
 "Now trust me, child" said Aunt | Lucy, "and I will surprise you"
 Five year old Lulie had set her heart on big doll, and instead of buying one dressed her mother bought one for 50 cents and dressed it with Aunt Lucy's help. First set of under clothes, shirt. drawers and two skirts. were made from an old white skirt that had seen it's best days; then a little dress was fashioned from some scraps of red cashmere; stockings from an old tan stocking and shoes from an old pair of tan colored kid gloves. A piece of gray cloth made 2 cloak and a scrap of red silk made little hood and lined little gray vel vet huff A yard of two-cent red rib bon made strings and bow for tho hood and cord for the huff.
 Uncle Lyman made the new doll a bed by mailing together four narrow strips of board-two 30 inches long for the sides and two 20 inches long for the ends-and mailing bit 6 inches long from an old broomstick to each corner. A board s inches high was fastened at the head and a new feed sack 4 thicknesses was tackled firmly to l the frame.
 Then came Aunt Lucy's part. A bed to fit the bedstead was made from several thicknesses of an old quilt sewed firmly together A pillow of tick ing was filled with old hens feathers. Two sheets and a pillow case were made from the good parts of an old sheet. Over the sheet was little blanket made from an old pett1coat and quilt was made from little squares of bright calico lined with an old undershirt and then with piece l. of calico, there was enough of the sheet to make dolly a night dress.
 The sitting room carpet was wear ing thin in the middle and Alice had wished for an art square to cover 1t, but she could not afford it. Aunt Lucy cut and seWed all of the bright col ored old rags and knit them in strips on big wooden needles and sewed them into a large square rug; then she knit and seWed on a black border and Alice had very pretty art square at no cost.
 Ernest was a great hand to nap on the lounge in the evening, so his mother made a small quilt of bright woolen sewed on blocks of old cloth and lined with outing flannel. This cost 40 cents for four yards of the flannel.
 For Uncle Lyman a cigar box was covered with fancy paper and neatly lined. An end sof narrow red ribbon was tackled at each corner and fasten- ed in the middle with bow and the box was hung from a picture knot r beside his easy chair to hold his pipe tobacco and knife. A fancy pocket or the front of the box held his glasses. l Harry, the other son, kept house and his neckties were everywhere, so his mother covered ladies' shoe box with
 blue sateen and lined it with sofi white paper and embroidered the word "Neckties'' on the top in yellow silk. The box was fastened with 6 tiny brass button and a loop of the silk This cost 15 cents.
 Bessie, his wife, had bag for soil.
 ed clothes. This was made from twG ) yards of brown crash sewed up at the :. sides and hemmed at the top wit ha . drawstring of strong tape. On the
 front was the words Wash Me- ir
 red letters. This cost 25 centa.