THE HOUSE OF THE GRANDMOTHERS.CHAPTER III.—Mary Ellen’s Christmas and New-Year’s.

THE HOUSE OF THE GRANDMOTHERS.CHAPTER III.—Mary Ellen’s Christmas and New-Year’s.

Two other celebrations followed little Mary Ellen’s birthday as fast as possible. Mary Ellen’s mama said the baby’s six grandmothers made her dizzy with their frolicsome plans.

THE SIX STOCKINGS.

THE SIX STOCKINGS.

THE SIX STOCKINGS.

But Christmas was coming, and certainly a baby’s first Christmas must be celebrated.

Great-grandmother Day, one of Mary Ellen’s father’s grandmothers, said one day to Mama Nan, “I suppose Mary Ellen has six stockings?”

“Why, yes, I suppose so—why do you ask?”

“You may hang them for her Christmas Eve,” said the venerable lady. “Stockings have never been hung in this house, but Mary Ellen probably will have to be indulged.”

Great-grandmother Day was the oldest of the four great-grandmothers. She was a very dignified old lady, and wore steel-bowed spectacles and carried a snuff-box in her pocket with a vanilla bean in it, and was treated with the greatest respect throughout the house.

Christmas Eve, six baby socks hung in a row in the nursery, and what do you think was in them next morning?

Six tiny packages, just alike. There were six fifty-dollar bank notes. Each was labelled: “To be kept for Mary Ellen’s wedding-dress.”

Mary Ellen’s mama looked as if she would cry. Papa Dick said, “I wonder what these grandmothers will do next!”

Mary Ellen’s next celebration was on New-Year’s Day. Nothing would do but that the Baby must make New-Year’s calls. Her mama feared she might take cold from “drafts,” being carried in and out of so many rooms, but Papa Dick said, “O, bundle her up!”

So New-Year’s morning Mary Ellen was dressed in her long white cashmere cape-cloak and her white velvet hood, and was carried about the house, up stairs and down, to call on her grandmothers in their own rooms. She was quite equal to the occasion. She said, “Da-da, da-da!” (“Happy New-Year!”) to each and every one who took her mite of a hand, and came home to her crib with something shut fast in her fingers her mama did not see at all!

Ella Farman Pratt.

MAKING NEW-YEAR’S CALLS.

MAKING NEW-YEAR’S CALLS.

MAKING NEW-YEAR’S CALLS.

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