|One afternoon little Robbie Fales came home with a very sober face.
Charley Allen, one of the school-boys, had just had a present of a
handsome drum. Robbie wanted one, too. He wanted one so much that he
could not think of any thing else all the evening. At last Grandma began
to wonder if he was sick; so he had to tell her what he was thinking
about.
"I wish father could buy one for me; but I know he can't afford it,"
said Robbie, with a long sigh.
"Perhaps I can fix up one for you," said Grandma.
"Oh, I should be so glad if you could!" said Robbie. "I know you can fix
lots of things; but I don't believe you could make a drum."
"Well, I can try," said Grandma; "and I think I can fix something for
you that will make a noise, if it should n't be like a real drum."
So the next day, when Robbie was away at school, Grandma Fales went to
work to make a drum for him in a way she had thought of. She found a
wooden box that was light but strong, and about the right size.
[Illustration: 8020]
She put some straps of red cloth around it to make it look gay. Then she
fastened a long strap to it so that Robbie could hang it on his neck.
For the drum-sticks she found some spokes that had been broken out of an
old wheel.
When Robbie came home and saw what Grandma had done for him he was quite
delighted.
"Why, this is a first-rate drum!" he exclaimed. "And it did n't cost a
cent, either. I did n't think you could make any thing so good," and
he thanked her over and over. He hung the box on his neck, and beat a
lively rub-a-dub on the ends.
He liked the sticks very much, because they were so round and smooth.
The homemade drum was greatly admired by the school-boys. Each one of
them took his turn at playing on it; and they all agreed, that if it did
not look just like a real drum, it did make a splendid noise.
Robbie said he was sure that he enjoyed it as much as he should if it
had cost several dollars; and Grandma was very glad that she had been
able to make him so happy.
--MARY E. NATHE.
[Illustration: 0021]