Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-16
4 Tea Party Tale

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Marjorie was happy, there was nc
m1staking 1t. She skipped merrily
down the street, and burst with g
cheerful clatter into the nearest
house:
I'm going to have tea-party all
my own,' she cried breathlessly to
the two little next-door girls. "Aunt
Lou said / might, and want you both
to come. She's going away this after
noon, Aunt Lou is, and she'll let' -
Marjorie reserved this best until the
last - She'll let me use her dishes
They're the same ones Aunt Lou used
to give her tea-parties with when she
was little girl"
"Oh!" cried Lois and Geraldine to-
gether, We'll go to your party for Ger.
tain sure; just see if we WON'T
Lois and Geraldine had been Mar.
Jorie's friends ever since she could re-
member. 1t seemed that they had
played together always, for when they
first learned to walk their wobbly, un.
certain steps had led them toward
each other Geraldine was a little
taller and bigger than the other two,
but Lois and Marjorie were almost
like sisters.
Aunt Lou didn't altogether under
stand little girls and their ways. She
thought that If small people had
plenty Of bread and butter, and good
clean homes and faces, they ought to
be perfectly happy.
Now this wonderful thing had hap
pened; Aunt Lou had suggested that
Marjorie have tea-party, and had
brought out delicious things to eat
from a middle shelf, and her very
own china tea-set from the tip-top
shelf of all.
It seemed that Aunt Lou had been
a little girl herself once upon time,
for there was the tea-set = that
showed it plain enough. \
"I'll be ever so careful" Marjorie
said, as she lifted them down and
placed the precious pieces side by
side
Aunt Lou smiled and said, ''I'm sure
you WILL Marjorie"
Aunt Lou had grown wonderfully
kind and good Of late. She even
brought out the prettiest cloth for
Marjorie's little table - lacy cloth
all starchy white that hung down over
the edges.
1t was very happy trio that sat
down to the small table spread for
three. Marjorie had drawn up low
chairs to sit on, chairs that weren't
so high that their feet dangled uncom-
fortably long way from the floor
These were the right kind.
They had cakes and Jelly to eat
sparkling red Jelly that shivered and
shook Marjorie filled up the cups.
not with real tea, Of course, but with
something better.
you've got to hold the lid on" she
explained as she poured out cupful,
because it rattles round and falls
out if you don't" .
won't you have some more sugar.
Marjorie gave the bowl little push
toward Lois. A gentle shove it was.
but the edge of the table was near.
and the other things took up lot
of room; and so, though Lols's hand
shot out to save it. she was a few
seconds too late, and the plump bowl
|reeled and went crashing to the floor,
where it lay in two broken pieces
almost at Marjorie's feet!
ooh, Marjorie!" cried Lois, with a
frightened gasp.
In an instant the three chairs were
forsaken, and Marjorie was bending
lover the Jagged pieces of what had
been a brave white sugar-bowl only
minute before. Her lips quivered pitt
fully, and the other two tried their
best to comfort her. But the deed
was done, it couldn't be helped now,
and sweet, sugary trail led over
Aunt LOUIS good carpet.
After the next-door girls had gone.
Mar1ories heart grew heavy. What
would Aunt Lou think? When she
had been SO kind about lending her
dishes, how could Marjorie ever, ever
tell her what had happened?
She picked up the pieces and placed
them together. They fitted exactly.
and from a little distance one would
never know but that the sugar-bowl
was perfectly good and whole.
A mean suggestion thrust itself into
Marjorie's head. Suppose she put 1t
back on the shelf just as 1t was. Aunt
Lou might never know what had hap
pened, not for some time, anyway.
But Marjorie's better nature won
the day. She would do what was
right - she would tell Aunt Lou her-
self that very night.
"Aunt Lou" she began bravely, I'm
sorry - didn't mean to - but i
"Well?" Aunt Lou eyed her sharply:
81 broke your white sugar-bowl!"
Marjorie expected she hardly knew
what after this confession, but nothing
could have surprised her more than
what Aunt Lou really did.
"Oh. is that ALI" she cried in re.
,;eved voice. Bring it here, will you?"
81 broke it myself IN the same place
a long time ago." she said. "See where
! had it mended so well that you could
hardly find the place. Well have 1t
mended again, and III give them all to
you to keep"
ooh Aunt Lou!" cried Marjorie.
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