The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-17

were they natures own setting for the lovely flowers she was molding. Morn ing slories of every hue, roses pink and white, golden pumpkins round and yell low, and hearts and wedding bells, a bewildering array of exquisite things.
 For my lectures in Birmingham" she told me, T am taking with me some of my very prettiest designs. 1 do hope the women will like them-and me-" she added gently, for with all the atten- tion, admiration and honor that is given her she is unSpoled and desirous of the sympathetic companionship of other wom- en. She is always eager to get close to womanl1ind--to win their liking-to make friends"
 But what about that first cake?" [ reminded her, and then she told me about it. The long days full of suf- ferings, the invald's chair that might be wheeled about the house for lit tie relief from monotonous loneliness, but not one step could be taken for herself, for the woman who know spends most of her waking hours in busy move ment could not lift one foot before the other for 12 long, dead months. With the husband busy at his office and the baby daughter cared for by competent hands, no responsibility was hers to shoulder, but, oh! the hours dragging wearily and empty of occupation
 Not for long though could betty Will son endure helpless inaction if her brain could work out something to do' Feet were helpless but hands and mind were alive and her heart was full of cour- age.
 At least l can wheel myself about the house and see that my home is in order,' so she thought. And so the progress was made from room to room, pausing beside table to set the books straight, then a little farther on ar ,,rrs..r doing bit here, bit there, tiny little things not necessary in them selves, but immeasurably needful for her. Then, after weeks of slow pro gress, the kitchen was reacheo ana Betty Wilson had come into her own. But how little she realized it then, for when she had set few pans straight and looked into the cupboard she was too tired to do more. The call, though, had come because next day instead of gong through the other rooms first she went right into the kitchen. q didn't know why, she says, Fit just seemed as if I liked that best--what found to do there interested me most.
 book lying on the table in the kitchen caught her eye one day. Pick ing it up it fell open and on the page the first words were, Recipe for Easy Cake" With sudden inspiration the chair was wheeled to the closet, few simple materials were set out, an in- valid in an invalid's chair found anchor before butter and sugar and eggs, the eager hands fell to mixing, and, lo Bet ty Wilson, cakemaker, was born. That was Mrs. Wilson's first cake but she was only equal to putting ingredients together then, the baking was left to the maid Still she was proud and happy woman, she had found something she could do, something worth while, and life took on a new meaning. The strug- gle back to health, the long days yet before strength came, convalescence, and finally the doctors words, Well again. is another story, but it came and she could leave sickness and pain and take up work in earnest
 Cake-making, the work was of course cakes for home, for neighbors, occasion ally for small parties, deliciously com pounded, filled with fruit and nuts or put together with mixtures of flavor ous luscious goodness but all iced with a smooth, plain coat. No thought had yet come of the wonderful flowers and fruit and leaves lying back in some corner of her brain, waiting.
 The only ornamentation Mrs. Wilson had so far achieved was for her moth CTS birthday cake This was the inn portant cake of the year. but her only decorative attempt for it was to fash ion the word Mother across it in cin- namon drops.
 After seeing Mrs. Wilson at her decor ative work of today, when blossoms of | every lovely shape and hue drop from the simple paper tubes as from an en- chanter's wand, through her magic | welding, it is difficult thing to inn