The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-08-19
1.-THE 90.
CHILDREN'S HOUR
THE LOST BONNET.

Abbie was to have brand-new bon
it was true. Being the middle girl in
the family, she usually shared bonnets
with her sisters; but now Aunt
Abigail, who was about to go abroad,
had written that she was sending her
a bonnet from New York, a bonnet Of
her very own.
Don't bother to send me a thank
you letter." Aunt Abigail wrote hur-
riedly. ''You can't anyway, be-
cause 1 don't know myself what my
address on the other side is going to
be. But wear the bonnet and remem-
Der me-" ~=.s-4s 81 fs.-+
Indeed I will remember her!" said
Abbie joyfully and walked on her tip
toes while she waited for the coming
of the package.
Il wonder what color it will be, Vic
torine," she said to her doll. She
knew how it would look in other ways,
for in those times all little girls bon
nets were scoop shape and had long
strings. II know what color want it
to be, Victorine!" Then she stopped
and whispered the color to her doll.
The mail for Baileyville came only
on Mondays and Wednesdays and Sat
urdays; but whenever it came Abbie
was standing on the steps of the post
Office, all eyes to see whether there
was bandbox among the parcels that
were heaped in the foot of the coach.
Day after day she was disappointed;
but at last one morning she caught
sight of round, Powered bandbox
Eyes, it has your name on it, the
driver told her. Must be filled with
feathers" he said as he lifted the box
Its broken at one edge, too" he add
ed in doubtful voice, "and not well
tied. / hope nothing's wrong, sissy"
Abbie was dancing jig. She could
not wait to get home, but united the
! strings then and there and lifted the
lid. Alas for her bright hopes, there
was no bonnet in the box! When she
shook out the tissue paper she founG
nothing but a piece of blue satin rib
bon that looked like bonnet string
Something had gone wrong on the
/ journey from New York; the bonne1
either had been stolen or had faller
out. Whatever had happened, it wa.
gone.
Abbie held UP the string. 20 dear
dear!" she cried.
i The postmaster and the driver fel
sorry for her; they said they would d,
all they could to trace the lost bon
net. But mails were uncertain in thos,
days, and as the long weeks changed
into months and nothing was heart
from the bonnet Abbie's family began
to shake their heads. Its lost" the,
agreed. But there was nothing tina
anyone could do.
4 Abbie tried to be brave. TITS lost
] Victorine, = she said. But anyway w
Lmust try not to cry"
u Victorine seemed so downcast tina
Abbie tried to cheer her up. well,
: can't have new bonnet at least vol
shall" she said. 81 will make you
darling one out of the blue ribbon tina
was left in the bandbox. I'm glad tina
wasn't lost"
II Then she had another idea. Boxe
J were not very common in those days
J and she had long wanted enough
!; pasteboard to carry out a plan sh
, had in mind. Here was a chance.
, "Now / can make you a new dress
: Victorine," she said. 'The top is S,
: tattered that the box is of no use;
J will take the lower part and maxi
] lovely hoops for your skirt; then your
be spick-and-span from top to toe.''
J In a little while she was hard a
work on the new dress. She sang t
J, herself as she cut and sewed, and Vic
! torine, propped up by the stiff frame
. work of the new hoop skirt, stood OF
the table at her elbow and seemed t,
llisten.
"Victorine,' she said, I'm going t,
Il tell you a secret. That must hav,
i been beautiful bonnet, but blue ism
: the color should have chosen. wa
sorry enough to lose a blue bonnei