Norwich bulletin., 1916-03-23
EIsie's Birthday Party.

Elsie was cross when she got up one morning and nothing suited her, and when later she tried to open the door to the dining room and found It and cry.
 You cannot come in now" said her mother, opening the door a very little, and standing in front of it so Elsie could not see what was going on in the dining room.
 Grandmother came out of her room at the head of the stairs and called to her, and Elsie very sull1ily went up- stairs.
 What are you making all this fuss over?" asked her grandmother. You will be sorry by and by that you have been so naughty"
 "No, I won'ti" said Elsie, Mother l has no right to lock the dining room. I want to go in and see what she is doing"
 You should mind your mother when she tells you to go away, and you will | be sorry by and by you wNe so naughty. Now. be a good little girl | and sit by me and look at your book" But Elsie would not do that. She went downstairs again and tried the | door of the dining room. It was still | locked, and she listened. but all sns l could hear was the rattle of the dishes. | So she went down into the yard and ! sat down to think how horrid every | body was to her.
 She had her lunch with grandmother | in her room. Why can't I eat lunch in the dining room?" asked Elsie. T cant tell you now" said her mother. 'I do wish you would be a | good girl. You will be sorry if you ! are not"
 i After lunch her mother dressed her | in her prcttieSt white dress. with pink ] ribbons on her hair, and Elsie began 1 to smile for the first time that day l haPa1cn ha rhnruht eI,n O 1 somewhere, but when her mother told l her not to put her hat on she began to cry again.
 The ringing of the doorben stopped her and Elsie heard the voices of her platmates m the hall.
 | When she looked over the railing she saw all the little girls and boys in
 her neighbOrhood standing there look
 ing up and laughing at her.
 Hello, Elsie!" called one of tho
 boys, "I guess we surprised you, didn'l
 we? Hov old are you today"
 Then for the first time Elsie remem.
 bered it was her birthday.
 They played games or the lawn ana
 in the hall and then the door of the 1 dining room was opened and Elsit
 knew why it had been closed all morn.
 ing. It was because mother wanted
 to give her a surprise. Elsie felt very | sorry and very much ashamed, ana
 she looked at her grandmother. who
 stood in the door, but she only smiled l at her.
 In the center of the table was a biz 1 bouquet of pink roses, and at every
 plate was a pink ribbon with CarC
 bearing the name of the little girl ol
 boy who was to sit there. Pull tn, ribbon" said Elsie's mother. and thel all did, and from under the pink rose came little pink packages which con
 tained a handkerchief for the littl, , girls aIll a silver pencil for each boy There were pink ices shaped lill 2 a rose and pink cakes, and all tn
 sandwiches were tied with pink rib . bon, and the candies were all pink an,
 white, too.
 Such a pretty table it was! Every thing jus matches. And after all hal , eaten all they wanted the table wa
 cleared and a maid brought a cake
 And such a big cake as it was, witt I lighted candles around it just six O
 them-the number of years Elsie wa : old on that day, and the date writte 2 in pink OF the frOstinS. When tn
 cake was Cut-and Elsie cut it stand , | ing on a Chair-there were pink boXe for the cake to be put in so the littl 1 guests could take it home, and cac
 box was tied with pink ribbon.
 They played games for awhile, an
 when the guests went home they wer
 tired as well as Elsie. k That night. when Elsie kissed he = grandmother good night, she said:
 was sorry by and by. just as you sait d Mother was fixing the dining room { q surprise me, wasn't she? And I wa
 cross. I am awfully sorry" d Elsie then told her mother she wa h sorry, and she promised to be a bet S. ter girl in the future and not at Il naughty when she could not kno
 everything that was going on. if LILLIAN RREHAUT. East Norwich N