Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-17
A Birthday
CHAPTER 100

1t was a late spring that year. with
many cold days n many windy wet
ones that lasted far into May. The
work IN the gardens out on the vacant
lost was often delayed for days at a
time. Most of the people who took
advantage of this opportunity to grow
fruit and vegetables, possessed one or
more small babies, and these had to
be brought along when the family
came to work in the garden. And
small babies could not. of course,
come when there was a threat Of
rain.
SO Alice would see promising patch
eS spring up full of weeds, rows OF
delicious peas choked out. tender
young tomato plants strangled by the
sturdier parasites. She wondered often
why these men and women should
care 50 much about The weather. Per-
'sonally, she loved nothing better than
to walk in a storm.
"Of course, you ian come home, get
a hot bath and change to dry clothes, '
her mother reminded her.
Yes" of course. Besides. I'm a
healthy sort of beast. Alice answered.
l'J guess In plain impatient, or per-
haps I'm getting a little temperament
tai"
2 As punishment to herself for her
uncharitable mood of the last sew
eral days, Alice personally pulled the
most dangerous weeds from some OF
the Shantytown gardens. Then h
hit upon the bright Idea of making
~mackintoshes for ONE of the small
children who worked in the gardens.
by buying some cheap table oil cloth
and cutting 1t into squares, with holes
in the center big enough for each
child TO get his head through. This
made a sort of circular cape which
flared out on all sides and protected
the child down to the knees. These
were loaned to al who wanted to work
in drizzly weather and the novelty
proved a great inducement. The gar
den work went on better n the
Settlement House committee cheer
fully paid for the oilcloth. Even little
lBerenice nae a cape, n trotted along
in 1t and a pair of rubbers, and appar-
entity enjoyed the wet.
, Mrs. Fairbanks did not entirely p
prove of the idea, but as long as she
knew the baby had a hot bath follow
! ng such an afternoon she said nothing.
! AS for Berenice, she thrived with
each passing day.
But even so, Alice had to force her
self into a cheerful mood as the month
went On.
TITS the deadly monotony of the
whole thing" she broke out one eve
ming. Lawrence at least was anus
ing, and Clara was very companion
j p they are having lovely
times in town." she added wistfully,
thinking of the colorful evenings she
had had early in the winter.
Perhaps you're sorry you sent
Lawrence away You could have him
back, you know" Mrs. Fairbanks
was always hoping for this.
But Alice shook her head.
II don't love him. And I'm not so
badly off that 1 have to marry a man
in order to be amused"
One evening late in May. about two
weeks after Clara had gone. Alice
came home from her work, tired and
a little discouraged. h had resolutely
walked home by way of the open fields
around an undeveloped part of the
town, instead of going by the post
office. When she walekd into the
house, she noticed hat her mother
had set the table in the living room
for convenience, most of Dexter Street
ate in its kitchens-and that Berenice
had on her party frock.
why, who is coming" she asked,
noticing four places set instead or
two.
.HBirfday," Berenice shrieked throw
ing herself joyfully on Alice.
BIRTHDAY? Yours?" Alice caught
the elfn little figure UP to her and
Rugged it hard.
.Your birthday" corrected Bereaicc.
wriggling free, after the unromantic
habit of children.
MY birthday! Why. so 1t is. I
had forgotten" Alice laughed sud
denly and going to her mother. who
had just entered from the kitchen h
waited for her birthday kiss"
Then she followed Berenice, who
was pulling at her skirt. The little
girl dragged her over to a chair, and
over the back of 1t she saw her pres
ent-a dainty dress of the pretties,
blue organdie.
clara sent me the pattern and d.