Boy Blue and His Friends | Page 6

two o'clock."
At recess the children told Miss Brown about the surprise party.
"Why don't you take some plants to Mary?" she said.
"Then she could have a garden to watch while she has to stay in the house."
"Oh, that's just the thing for Mistress Mary," said Jack.
And all the children began to sing:--
"Mistress Mary quite contrary
How does your garden grow??With silver bells, and cockle shells,?And pretty maids all in a row."
Saturday afternoon Mary was playing with her dolls when the bell rang.
"Alice has come to play with me," she thought.
Just then the door opened and there stood twelve little boys and girls.
[Illustration]
Each one was carrying a plant with a pretty, bright blossom.
They marched in singing "Mistress Mary," and little Mistress Mary laughed, and cried, and clapped her hands, all in one minute.
Then the children put the plants on a table near the window where Mary could see them.
There were geraniums, and pinks; a sweet heliotrope, and a rose-bush with a pink rose.
Alice brought the heliotrope, and Jack brought the rose-bush.
How bright and cheerful the plants made the room look!
The children stayed an hour and played games with Mary.
They played "hide the thimble" and one or two guessing games, because Mary could not run around the room with them.
Then they had some little cakes and cookies which Mary's mother had made for them.
When it was time to go home they left a very happy little girl.
"Good-bye," said Mary, "I hope you will come very often.
"Thank you for the lovely plants. My table looks like a flower garden."
"Yes, Mistress Mary," said Jack, "we'll come to see how your garden grows. You ought to have some silver bells and some cockle shells."
In a few weeks Mistress Mary, as every one called her now, came back to school.
She could run and play as well as any of the children.
But she did not forget her garden, and she often brought some of her flowers to school.
When the spring came she made a garden out of doors for her plants.
And what do you think she put all around the flower bed?
She put a splendid row of little white shells.
Little Tommy Tucker,?Sings for his supper.?What shall he eat??White bread and butter.?How can he cut it without any knife??How can he marry without any wife?
TOMMY TUCKER
One summer Mary went to make Grandma Hall a visit.
Grandma's little girls were all grown up now, and Grandma and Grandpa lived alone on the farm.
Mary liked to go there to visit because Grandma could tell such splendid stories, and there were always so many things to do.
It was Saturday and Mary had been busy all the morning helping Grandma make cookies, and pies, and cakes.
After dinner Grandma and little Mary took their sewing and sat out under the old apple-tree in the garden.
Grandma was making a cap, and Mary was making a white apron for her mother.
They had been sitting there only a little while when Mary saw a ragged boy coming down the road towards the house.
Running along close behind him was a ragged little dog.
The boy had a violin in his hand.
When he saw the little girl and her grandmother he stood still and began to play.
As he played, the little dog stood up on his hind legs and tried to sing.
"Bow--wow, wow!" he barked, and oh he did look so funny!
"Please ask the boy to bring that funny dog over here, Grandma," said Mary.
"Come here, little boy," said Grandma. "What is your name?"
"My name is Tommy," said the boy, "and this is my dog Rags."
"Run and get Tommy and the dog some cookies, Mary," said Grandma, "I guess they are both hungry."
Tommy looked so tired that Mrs. Hall asked him to sit down and rest.
"Where do you live?" she asked.
"I don't live anywhere," replied Tommy, "I just have my dog Rags, and he and I sleep wherever we can."
"Well," said Grandma, "you must both stay here to-night. We can find a place for a boy and a dog somewhere in this big house."
I can't tell you how happy Tommy was.
Rags seemed happy, too.
He did all the tricks he knew, and for every trick he got a big, sweet cookie.
After supper Tommy wanted to help, so he went out to the barn with Grandpa Hall.
Rags trotted along behind him, wagging his tail and barking at everything he saw.
"What can you do, Tommy?" asked Grandpa.
"I can play my violin and sing," said Tommy. "That is all I know how to do."
"Little Tommy Tucker,?Sings for his supper.
"I think we shall have to call you 'Tommy Tucker'," said Grandpa.
But Tommy could do many things besides sing and play.
He helped Grandpa Hall feed the hens and chickens.
He gave them fresh water and found all the eggs.
Then he brought in some wood for Grandma's fire.
There are a great many things for a boy to do on a