_CHAPTER V.—Mary Ellen’s Grandmothers._
The Grandmothers were in Mrs. Persis’ room. Large and sunny, it was the
favorite sitting-room, and the big cat-basket was generally kept there.
As usual they were all doing something for Mary Ellen. Grandmama Camp was
embroidering on a little petticoat. The others were embroidering too, or
crocheting, except the oldest two of the great-grandmothers. Mrs. Day was
knitting a yarn stocking about the size for a little girl of six, Old
Lady Lois was pasting colored pictures in a scrap-book.
They were talking of the child. “I often wonder how she is ever going to
know us apart,” Grandmama Lee was saying. “Six of us!”
Mrs. Persis laughed. “Poor baby! who ever before heard of six
grandmothers in one house! just how she will learn to tell us apart _is_
a question!”
[Illustration: “MRS. PERSIS.”]
“I never thought we resembled one another,” remarked Great-grandmother
Day.
No, they did not.
[Illustration: MRS. CAMP AND OLD LADY LOIS.]
There was Grandmama Lee, and Great-grandmother Lee who was called “Mrs.
Persis,” and Great-grandmother Day. These three belonged to Papa Dick
and had lived in the house ever since he could remember. Grandmama Lee,
Papa Dick’s mother, was young and plump and smiling, with nut-brown hair
waving over her forehead—a very nice grandmother. Great-grandmother Lee,
“Mrs. Persis,” was roly-poly with a double chin, puffs of white hair,
bright eyes, and any of the cats sat on her shoulder when they liked.
Great-grandmother Day was the one who walked with a cane and wore caps.
Grandmama Camp and Great-grandmother Camp and Great-grandmother Gray who
was called “Old Lady Lois,” belonged to Mama Nan, and when Papa Dick
married her he brought them all home to his own house. He said he liked
the idea. Mrs. Camp, Mama Nan’s mother, was a young, handsome, stylish
woman with black hair and black eyes. Great-grandmother Camp, called
“Madam Esther,” was tall and also had black hair and black eyes. “Old
Lady Lois,” Mrs. Gray, was quite a beautiful old lady. She had a sweet
face, and always wore a flower in her soft white mull kerchiefs.
“I think _I_ know,” said Grandmama Camp, looking around on the others,
“just how Nan’s baby will tell us apart.”
“How,” they asked. But she would not tell them.
_Ella Farman Pratt._
[Illustration: THE NIMBLE PENNIES.
Draw two circles, one small, one large, the small one lapping over the
other, as in the first and second drawings. Use a small cent in drawing
the small circle, and a large copper cent (or a two-cent piece, or a
silver quarter) in drawing the large circle. After that you will easily
make a picture of a bright-eyed, long-tailed, nibbling mouse.]