_CHAPTER II.—Mary Ellen’s Birthday Celebration._
There were two or three other events in her baby days that little Mary
Ellen always wished she could remember.
[Illustration: THE BIG CAT-BASKET.]
One was her first birthday celebration. It was not like any that any
other little baby ever had. Little Mary Ellen had a birthday when she was
six months old!
The youngest of the four great-grandmothers, Mrs. Persis, was talking one
day with Madam Esther, the next-to-the-oldest great-grandmother. “It is
time Nan’s baby had some kind of a celebration,” said she. “Why not let
her have a birthday the day she is six months old?”
“Who ever heard of such a thing!” Madam Esther gasped.
“Why, _we_ have!” laughed Grandmother Lee, Mary Ellen’s father’s mother.
“All we six here have heard of it, hav’n’t we, just this very minute?”
“Well, this _is_ an idea,” said Grandmother Camp, Mary Ellen’s mother’s
mother. “A birthday at six months old! Still, if we choose, what is to
prevent? I’ll ring for Nan.”
They were all in Miss Persis’ room, the large southwest corner room,
in their rocking-chairs, sitting in the sun. The cats lay in the big
cat-basket, basking in the golden warmth.
When Mama Nan came in, her mother told her the plan. “Did I ever hear
anything so absurd!” cried Mama Nan.
Papa Dick said, “Why not?” and helped the plan on.
So Mary Ellen had the celebration. It was held in Mrs. Persis’ sunny
sitting-room, and she was taken in in her best embroidered robe and blue
ribbons with a pink rose stuck in each bow, and the cats had new blue
ribbons with rosebuds tied in—and what do you think was the center-piece
on the tea-table?
Why, Mary Ellen herself, on a pink sofa pillow, nestled in among the big
lace ruffles!
And her birthday presents? Six white sugar-candy doves. And when, one by
one, they were held up to her face to see, what do you think Mary Ellen
did? At the last dove she put out her little pink tongue on its white
breast and had her first taste of candy.
[Illustration: MARY ELLEN AND THE CANDY DOVE.]
It was a beautiful time, and too bad it was little Mary Ellen couldn’t
ever remember it!
_Ella Farman Pratt._