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Show H A Birthday Party for a Girl Friend Dixji.siyisjj. itm luj Lij wus an impromptu im-promptu birthday party given this H week by a, young girl to another who H was her bouso guest. The girl whose B birthday fell at that time is an orphan, H ami, without thinking, told her young H' hostess that In all the sixteen years of ber H life sbe bad never bad a birthday cake. B That was enough for the young hostess, H herself the soul of hospitality, and who ' has had a birthday cake every year, with-1 w out faiL H It was the day before her festival that 1 the young guest thoughtlessly told what H the approaching day was, being decidedly H embarrassed when she realized what she H had done. But nothing was said to her B of the plans forming In her friend's mlud, H and tbc gurprlsc the next morning won cc H in fact. H When the maid rapped ut her door at K eight o'clock, nnd the girl opened it, phc H saw no one. But on the sill was a soft H ra)md straw mat of pale green, folded H over and tied with a lmgc bow of green H tdlk ribbon. In the horn thus made were H thrust tho freshest of garden flowers, and H on the top was a card reading "For your H . very happiest birthday." . H On going down to tho informal break- H fast roomN she found the other guests, H of whom there were seven, awalt- ing tier, nnd the yoxmg hostess mother was also there, a most rare, and highly complimentary appearance. Tho girl wns led to h-rr own scat, and, there, piled high on the tnble, were ribbon tied white lisfue paper parcels of various sizes, which, with a magnificent flourish, the hostess said tho fairy godmother bnd brought while tho girl slept. In point of fact each girl had provided something, and that the recipient micht not feel embarrassed at these gifts, which came, some o' them, from comparative Btranger3, all were 6lmple. In ono parcel par-cel was a white suede belt; another held an embroidered linen purse. In still another an-other was a gray silk bag, which the girl haB since used for soiled liuen when away on visits. An nddrer-s book was In another parcel and a handkerchief was brought from still another. No names accompanied the gifts, for they were all giving ber the birthday, they said, and each had an equal share. Dinner that night took on a party as-nact, as-nact, for youug peoplo of tho neighborhood neighbor-hood were invited in. And, crowning jo-, of all, at the end of dinner a real birrbdav cake was brought to the table and placed before tho girl. The cook hnd exerted herself and mado a most elfioornte ntfair, and burning around it brightly were sixteen small pink c2n,d",- wIt1' nc large one, the "candle of life burning in the very centre. Each guest blew out ono of the small lights, making a wish for the girl as she did so, and at the last the candle of life alone remained. That, with a spoken wish of nil good things for her daughter's friend, wa6 taken up and blown out by the hostess' mother, and then the tyiko was ready for cutting This the guest was made to do herself, her-self, and every one took a bit, ho and girls eagerly looking for small trinkets ilmt cook hod stowed away in it. To the great pleasure of all, the girl herself found the little plain gold ring, the only article of valuo them was, and then the young people trooped nwny to dance to a finish tho happiest birthday this girl had ever hud. |