Betty’s Birthday Bags.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue IV, 28 July 1900, Page 183

Betty’s Birthday Bags.

Betty Ellis had had a birthday party every year she had lived until the year of her seventh birthday. At that time her mamma was very sick, so all thought of a party had to be given up. Betty was dreadfully disap|M>inted. but bravely tried to make the best of it. Now. Betty hud a dear, dear auntie, who lived at their house, and was always thinking and doing the most delightful things. When she saw how

bad Betty felt, she put on her best thinking cap and soon imide up a clever plan for a birthday surprise without any party. For several days before the birthday Betty noticed that auntie looked very funny and mysterious, and she just, knew something nice was going to happen. When she ojiened her eyes on the 'morning of her birthday, she sawleaning up against the side of her bed a large bag. It looked like the bugs that ragmen use to gather rags in, and seemed to be full of something very odd in shape. Betty jumped out of bed to look at it and there, tied to the drawing string, was a. card with her name on it. Of course she knew it was a birthday present. “But what a funnyway to give one.” she thought as she pulled it o|>en. Inside was just what she had longed for—a new doll carriage for her Christinas doll.

At breakfast time she found under her plate a tiny bag made of pink silk. Inside, wrapped in cotton, was a ring with the tiniest speck of a diamond in it. How she danced about ajid hugged papa and auntie. When she got ready to start for school she found in place of her old book satchel a new school bog with a story book in it. It was hard to have to leave that at home and put her school books in its place. Jane, the cook, gave her a calico bag to keep buttons in. She found this at noon up in her room; also a pretty laundry bag from auntie, with six new handkerchiefs in it. And when papa came home at night he brought instead of a box of candy a. big bag full of candies and nuts.

But the nicest birthday bag of all, so Betty thought, was the one Tom gave her. Tom was the gardener’s son, and a. very good friend of hers. He had two of the dearest little puppies that ever were seen, and Betty- had lieen

teasing for one ever since they were born. How surprised she was when on her birthday Tom came in with a horse's feed Isig in his hand, carrying it very carefully, and begged her to accept it. It seemed a queer present, but she thanked him and pee|ted in. and there was the prettiest puppy, the one with the white nose. When Betty went to lied that night with the ring on her tinger. the doll carriage at the foot of the l»ed, and the puppy in her arms, she told auntie in her bed-time talk that she thought birthday bags were just exactly as nice as Christmas stockings.

MAY W. CLYMER.