HAZEL LAYS THE TABLE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 2 March 1935, Page 10

HAZEL LAYS THE TABLE

A GOOD-NIGHT STORY

Hazel’s mother had to send off an important telegram. “Will you lay the tea table for me while I run to the post office?” she had said. “It’s all ready on the trolley, and I shall onlj’ be a few minutes.” And Hazel had come in from the garden very grudgingly, grumbling because this was the time when the new children who had come to live down the road passed the gate on their way home from their afternoon walk. Hazel liked to stand at the gate and smile at the little girl as she went past.

As Hazel rattled the cups and plates crossly on to the table she suddenly noticed a little dark object in the doorway; it was a black retriever puppy. Ami almost immediately a little girl appeared, panting. “I’m terribly sorry,” she said when she saw Hazel, “but your gate was open and Puppy Jim ran in. I had to chase him right up the path in here.” Hazel smiled at her shyly. “You are the little girl who’s come to live down the road, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Yes; my name’s Sophy. Whait’s yours ?” “Hazel,” she replied, as Sophy took the puppy into her arms. “Are you allowed to lay the tea all by yourself?” went on Sophy enviously. “What fun! Can I help? Nanny won’t let me. She says I’d smash everything.” “Well, I didn’t really want to do it when Mummy asked me,” admitted

Hazel. “I wanted to watch for you going past the gate.” She felt rather ashamed of being cross now.

“Anyway, we know each other now,” said Sophy, as the two little girls went down the path together. At the gate they met Hazel’s mother coming in. Hazel explained how Puppy Jim had raced into her house and Sophy had to chase him. “And J l found layb’nig the tea,” added Sophy. “Well,” said Mummy, smiling, “perhaps your mother will let you come and have tea with Hazel one dav. ’ ’

“How lovely!” cried Hazel, -clapping her hands.

“And I could help to lay the table,” asked Sophy eagerly, “Just for a treat?”

“I’m sure Hazel won’t mind giving up her job to you,” laughed Mummy. But Hazel rubbed her face against Puppy Jim and said: “I’m sorry, Mummy. I didn’t know' people thought it- was fun to lay the table.”

A HANGER FOR YOUR BEADS Everyone knows how tangled bead necklaces become w’hen kept in drawers or boxes, so here is a bright idea for making a useful little gift, or for your own dressing-table. If you can get the wooden too of a ditches, that does splendidly for the back of the hanger, but failing that, cut out a strong piece of cardboard to the shape shown. Place this foundation on a double thickness of pretty cretonne, or other firm material, and cut out round it, leaving good trimings. With material right sides together, seam up along one edge, turn right side out and sandwich the cardboard foundation between the two layers of material. Now turn in the remaining raw edges and oversew together neatly all round, stretching the material! smoothly as you go. Screw in about ten or a dozen small cup hooks at regular intervals on the hanger, seeing that the top row of hooks is placed alternately with the lower ones, so that no two necklaces hang one on another. Put a hook at each end of the top, placed upright, and hang up the gadget ir side a cupboard coor or on a wall. If preferred, attach a cord to either end to hang it by a single nail.

Molly: “Look at that aeroplane, Isn’t it going quickly?” Tony: “Yes; it is simply flying.” *****

Teacher (to class): “Wbat makes the sea so salt?” Bright Boy: “Please, sir, the bloaters.”