For the Children

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16845, 22 September 1922, Page 3

For the Children

THE DDLLS' FEAST. "Dear Janet: My children and 1 are going to have a party on Saturday at 4 o’clock. Will you come and bring your children ?—With love from Polly.” The invitation, carefully written on a short sheet of her own fancy notepaper with violets in tlie upper corner. looked very attractive and proper. Polly drew in a deep breath, and then settled to write a similar one to “ Dear Barbara.” It was quite hard work to hold the pen steady and keep it from writing downhill, but Polly took pains; and. when the notes were finished, she ran proudly to show them to Mother. “ They are very nicely written, dear,” .said Mother. “ Now you will have just to post them in your little friends’ letter-boxes before lunch.” .So Polly 7>ut Violet and Teddy and the twins. Daisy and Buttercup, in the dolls’-pram, and wheeled them importantly down the road to post the invitations. Such busy days for Polly ‘before .Saturday arrived! She had to wash and iron all her children’s clothes: then she thought Bluebell, the oldest doll, was really looking rather shabby, so she glued her wig on straight, and made a new frock. Teddy had to have a new neck-bow ; and on Saturday morning, Polly’s own dishes had to be brought out anrl carefully washed and dried, ieady for “ company.” READY FOR COMPANY. It was Rueh fun laying the table her own self. Mother just peeped in to see that all was right, and then she went into the drawing-room to her own visitors, leaving Polly to receive and entertain her little friends by herself. •lust as the clock struck four. Janet, her dolls under one arm, pushed open the garden-gate and came up the little path to the play-room. “ Good afternoon,” said Polly, in a very polite voice. “I'm so glad you were able to come, Mr/.—Mrs.——” “Mrs Brown,” said Janet. “Yes, thank you, my children and T were very pleased to come.” Then they did not quite know what else to say, bub at that moment Barbara knocked at the open door with her elbow, as her hands were full. “Oh, oome in!” cried Polly. “ So you've 'brought the dear children ! Let ! me introduce you to Airs Brown. I’m ; Airs Shooks.” She glanced at Barbara i enquiringly. ] “My name’s Mrs—um—uni—Bel- | lows!” said Barbara. after looking ! around the room in search of inspiraj tion. “Isn’t that a nice cake?” she added, shyly, her eyes on the table. •‘Hush!” said Polly; “ladies don’t ' talk like that. Now, will you take a seat, Airs Brown? Mrs Bellows, i please bring up that chair for vour j children. I’m going to serve.” A PROUD MOMENT. | She tried not to look too proud as ! she seated liersclf before the table but | really it made one feel grown. J *• Do help yourselves to bread and 1 butter, my dears, and pass me some.” she said, handing the cups of sweetened milk. j They had a lovely feast aud the amount the dolls disposed of would have amazed you! Mrs Bellows’ child Rose-in-the-Bud, got jam all over her china cheeks, and her sister, Jemima/ > had her hair nearly spoilt by falling j head first into her cup, in her cager- ■ ness for a drink.

N»BBasia» i =?===«.■ ... "-awe*# “I don’t think your children behave 3 ! very ladylike. Mrs Bellows,” obt ; served Mrs Brown, reprovingly. ”My T ! children have quite good appetites, a ! but they do it very nicely.” 1 . “My Mother says it’s ‘beet to teach 1 them by example,” said Mrs Snooks, trying not to see that Mrs Bellows I was really ea-ting more than her share ! off the dolls’ plates. * ‘ “ Yes,” put in Mrs Brown., “I always p I say to my children: “see the. way I 3 I can eat without getting sticky!’—and J so they are all tidy enters.” c ! “ 1 don’t mind if my children get a _ bit sticky,” said little Airs Bellows, I unabashed, “and they like it!” j “ Well, then, you mustn’t let them play Avith my children, for they’ve just j Irad their faces washed. And Airs _ ! Snooks has washed all her dolls’ ! clothes.” j j “ And Bluebell has «. new dress—J made it myself.” said Polly, modest!v. DIFFERENCES IN APPEARANCE. Both little girls were much impressed. “ 1 wish my dolls looked as _ nice as yours,” mourned Barbara, 1 suddenly struck with the difference in j their appearance. y ‘‘Bet’s wash ’em,” said Polly. •, “We’re going to wash up the dishes I ourselves, and then we’ll wash your a dolls and make them look beautiful!” p So Emma, tlx? maid gave them a 0 big bowl of warm water aud a. towel J out in the garden, and. they washed the cups and saucers, and Barbara’s dolls, and then, as the doll’s dresses had got rather wet, they washed them r too, and Emma promised to “ run an e iron over them,” as soon as they had t dried a little. 1 i When “ going home ” time came, 1 Rose-in-the-Bud and Jemima looked quite different little people with their * 1 clean faces, neatly brushed hair, and I , spotless frocks. * 6 j “ Well! —don’t they look resnert’ble!” Barbara exclaimed, as she cara i ried them down to the gate in company II j with the others. “ They’re really quite ‘as nice as your clolls, when they’re > 1 clean. Do you s'pose-—” (she looked o very solemn) —“ If I didn't get untidy 1 or sticky myself, they'd learn to keep k cleaner and tidier?” t ; “ Well, it helps lots,” said Polly, r very seriously. “ That’s how I bring up my children, myself!” Then she kissed her little friends f good-bye, and tljey said : “ Thank you 1 lor a lovely party!” and went off, * . skipping down the road, waving and ' blowing kisses to Polly at the gate. - ! until a turn in the read took them out 5 | oi sight, 0 i INSECTS THAT SING. L j Japanese do not care for dogs and x cats as pets in the house. Their favourite is a singing insect, which is kept t* in a cage that bangs from the eaves | of the house. j Although this little creature does not ! perform on all occasion, the sound of I rain will at any time start him chirp- . ing. So, to amuse strangers in a Jap homo, one of the family will go on to , i the roof and pour down a bucket of 7 water in order to produce the dripping ; sound of rain. •' As soon as the singing insect hears ! what he imagines to be the real thing, ® he begins to warble. * Amongst other things mentioned by Mr J. W. Robertson Scott in his “ The r Foundations of Japan ” is the fact than f sheep are very scarce in that country ; ? so much so tha£ on one occasion an - j old ram was exhibited at a village fair » as a lion.