The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-15
Too Good (?)to Give Away

t@NH l.
| The old gate which had been plead
ing strenuously, ever since the earliest
October rains, for a little Oil to lubri-
cate it's sadly overworked and old fash.
Toned hinges, creaked an indignant
protest against it's use as a swing by
three of the five children who made
the quiet street and the disheveled
garden echo to their laughing chatter,
as they raced to see who would reach
the kitchen door first.
Polly, with her Wednesday work all
done, was mending stockings by the
south window. She dropped the darn
ingwithout even a glance at the clock
when the gates agonized shrieks
flOated in through the window which
she had opened after the last of her
baking was safely out of the oven. In
three steps she was across the kitchen
floor, to the pantry; there selling a
blue plate, she laid upon it six beau
tifully Drowned ginger cookies with
marvelously scalloped edges. Another
second and, she was again placidly
pushing her needle under and over,
under and over, with no ears seem
ingly, for the dancing feet at the back
door, nor eyes for the delectable GEN.
terpiece on her white table,
"M-m-mh, I smell something good!",
"Open the door quick, POLLY" We've
brought Nettie and Lulu to help
mother and us" called Betty and
Rosamund and Jack.
Polly rolled her eyes toward the
ceiling until only the whites were visi-
BILE and then answered, DOS I'M
locked; you-all push it right in, but
mind you wipe you-all's feet fore you
come clutterin' my Kitchen" She
smiled broadly at the cookies and then
glanced quickly, away as the five
youngsters obeyed her various com
mands and invaded the fragrant
room.
"Pies, Polly? Did you make a little
one for me?" Jack was perilously near
her sharp needle as he made inquiries.
Polly shifted: who me, pies? / amt
got no time to fool with no pies on
bakin' day."
Cause you made cookies! Ginger
cookies, found them!" Seven year
old Betty held the blue plate high and
danced three steps of a triumphant
jig. She was instantly surrounded by
four ravenous children, who mindful
(of Polly's peremptory command to
watch out for crumbs on my clean
floor" snatched their cookies and re-
tired to desirable seats, whereupon
they might neatly and leisurely devour
them. Jack swung himself up on the
white enameled stool near Polly's
chair. Rosamund snuggled into a low
rocker, destined for Polly's infrequent
company" Lulu sat sedately in a
high backed chair greatly in need of a
coat of paint, in consequence of Polly's
passion for scrubbing, and Betty and
Nettie found the lowest step of the
stairs leading into the upper hall sufi-
GENTLY wide to accommodate them
side by side. Polly darned assiduously
and did her best to conceal her enjoy
ment of this invasion of her kitchen
and destruction of her handiwork,
| nevertheless her eyes sparkled at
every crunch of the strong little teeth.
YOU mas dome started a-pickin'
out the things she remarked when
the sixth cookie was successfully di-
vided into fifthssi EFF you-all want to
help pack, you better be goin' on UP
to where she's at
Come on, Lulu, my cookies all
gone!" .Rosamund cried.
SOS everybody's," announced Jack.
He swung back! the door leading into
the dining room. Awed by the quiet
of the empty room the children tip
toed after him, but when the hall was
reached and they could hear mysteri-
Gus noises, such as proceed from
opened drawers and falling trunk lids,
all decorum was lost and race up the
stairs was inaugurated. Betty gained
her mothers room first and gave vent
to her feelings in a squeal of delight.
Bed chairs, couch and table were
heaped with a mass of clothing which
could only accumulate in a family of
rapidly growing children. The other
children surveyed the heaps with
various emotions. @&
my, what lot of things" said
Lulu, politely.
tits nearly enough for a whole or
phan asylum" Nettie fingered a black
velvet coat, relic of Jacks baby
days.
ooh, dear, all of these aren't going
to st. vincent's,'' Mrs. Huntley
laughed. I'm doing. two jobs at once.
picking out winter things for my own
babies as we'll as ST.. Vincent's"
"Oh, said Rosamund, with a ire
mendous sigh of relief, II wondered if
we had to give my blue scarf and cap
that l only wore little for best last
winter, to a poor child
,"No, that isn't going. Putt in your
closet now, SO there won't be any
danger of it's hopping into bundle
of it's own accord. Run off everybody
and put away your things and then
come back, was afraid you were
never coming to help me" HI
Polly gave us cookies said Betty.
"She's the best Polly in the world
"Can I fold the stockings?'' asked
Jack. His mother tossed him a bum
die for answer. He was on his third
pair when the little girls returned, but
in less than two minutes everybody
was quite as Industrious. Lulu re-