Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-07-26
A GIFT OF VALUE.

markedly set apart from the Otner girls
that lived in the little town that looked
up to her father as its greatest man,
but there seemed no help for It. He was
| richer and more powerful than any one
| else,-and he was perhaps more public
| spirited. Naturally, since he was power
| with the grown-ups, Edna, If not a power
| was at least distinguished among the
| girls
She went to the same school; she did
| not dress so very much better, because
| neither her father or mother thought Ii
| best for her. 1t was impossible not to get
| her good clothes, but they were not
| strikingy superior to those worn by her
companions In fact, the difference be-
| tween her fortunes and the fortunes OF
| the other girls was chiefly shown in one
way,-in the gifts she was able to give
| them,-always so much richer than any
they could give her.
| However, one day, there came a
| change. 1t happened in this way
Mr.. Wilson had received some excep-
| tionally fine oranges from Florida. Edna,
| accustomed to lavish giving, Immediately
| asked for some to take her class, for the
morning recess. Permission accorded, she
tripped lightly to school with the basket,
in the hands of colored man, following
| her. Two oranges were laid with smile
on the principals desk. One was proffer-
| ed to each teacher. At recess Edna hand
ed round with a smile.
"Oh. thanks, thank you-thank you
ever so much" came in a chorus from
| eight of the recipients,-nine in number
| The ninth was Alice Gilmore. Alice had
a voca bulary, knew it, and liked to en-
poy 1t.
you're a perfect Lady Bountiful,
Edna was her way of showing graft
| tude.
F1orrie Miller looked at her with envy.
II like you to say things like that out
here, Alice" she remarked, deftly peel
| ing her orange. But please don't men
ton that before Miss Carteret. She'll
| Immediately pounce on us for the origin
| of the phrase"
well, wish she would" retorted
| Alice her nose in the air. "Id soon tell
her that the lady of the manor Tin old
English days) who distributed bread and
things to the poor was called the Lady
| Bountiful.'
ooh! said F1orrie. Then 1 don't mind
if she asks usl Nearly everybody laugh
ed including Edna, whose dainty head
was perhaps little higher
Lady Bountiful," said Peggy Chester,
in low tone. 1t CHANGED that the car
riage called for Edna that day, so no
one walked home with her Usually she
was attended TO her gate by a little
court AS the girls. at the school gate,
saw her drive away and waved their
hands in answer to her gracious bow and
smile, Peggy turned and faced them
| W TlSHL DdCk, SIG Sdlu lInpcilouSiy
"T want to talk to you"
When Peggy, who was small and de-
termined and authoritative, spoke in
that way, the eight obeyed her. They
did so now, and sat under the tree at
the back of the school yard.
do you realize" began Peggy, her
dark eyes flashing, that we are receiv-
ing charity-charlty-fro Edna? She
is a Lady Bountiful, and we're like the
English poor-in olden days. We take
her gifts, and
A chorus interrupted her. She had
sown the dragons teeth and raised up
warriors. The nine went homewards, all
| talking at once and talking loudly.
Fortunately for their smarting feelings,
| Ednas birthday was at hand. 1t was the
custom of the nine to put quarter OF
fifty cents into a common fund, and buy
| whatever appeared most appropriate as
class offering
This time under Peggy's leadership
; they begged money from parents, they
, mortgaged their own future birthday
| gifts, and asked for what it's purchase
! | would have cost now, in hard cash they
even worked to earn money. Then, in
stead Of sending common gift, las Il
J | we were not individuals, "cried Peggy
they each chose present in many cases
-, | as costly as the class offering had been
Edna was astonished-so were hel
| parents. Moreover they began to bring
her tributes at lunch time, fully as cost
; | ly as her own, until the result that the!
; desired was achieved; namely, the LITTLE
; heiress learned that they desired M
| patronage and no charity
After this her own gifts became mor'
sensible, and theirs could equal herr
$ without effort Probably some wis,
e grown-up contributed to this result
However, gift giving became almos
= normal.
a Almost, not quite. Christmas gifts wer
"a not to- e H. o,rtn. It'll,
day tokens. But a fancy for somewha
extravagant Commencement presents
came into vogue, and, as this year wa
graduation year for their class, they al
felt the need of making some specia
effort. True, Edna had learned that sh
y was one in a republic,-that her wealth
l, did not entitle her to give herself Lad
IT Bountiful airs,-in fact, the nickname
h had chung to her until she had lived l
k down,-but they all felt that thi
e year she would probably Guido herself
y So, two months before commencement
a day, the graduating class began to worr.
# over the graduation presents.
7. They began saving pennies and earn
e ing them. They began sending 70
It | strange catalogues.
= Then something happened that mad
e | poor Peggy wish she had never inter
It fered. Her democratic spirit proved
boomerang.
VI Two months before commencement
/, | the relative who sent her widowe,
n mother the tiny income on which the.
: lived died suddenly, leaving his affair
y in confusion. The income ceased. Peggy
!, brave little mother took in fine sewing
!, Peggy wanted to leave school at ono
:, and find work; but that would hav
y made her mother too unhappy, so sh
- abandoned the idea. After all, 1t was blu
:, for two months.
For about three weeks stern necessity
q and many studies kept Peggy from
= worrying over minor grievances. Thei
', came a thought of the commencement
nay. more, the graduation presents
She could, as she said with a bitter littl
laugh give nobody nothing!" Peggy wa
sensible girl. but 1t wasn't pleasan
to think of the presents she would in
evitably receive. and the none-or mex
to none-she could give. For a time sh
II decided frankly to give none Of any sort
but that seemed too blunt. No. she mus
II do her best and make some little tokel
for each of the nine dear friends sh
cared for so WELL
Three weeks before commencement
her mother was taken Ill. Peggy did al
y the work, nursed her mother splendidly
and went to school only because her pre-
II sence at home during school hours &C
tually sent her invalid's temperature III
v or 40 the invalid declared