The sunshine from the south windows lay in two great patches on
the quiet carpet, and glistened in a corner of something that did not
look quite familiar; the fire burned briskly, doing its best to add to
the cheeriness.
"My dear daughter, how could you do all this?" she asked, her face
brightening.
"Do you like it? I am so glad!" Then Dora began to look about in some
bewilderment; something had certainly happened to the room since
yesterday. In the corner by the fireplace was the dearest mahogany
desk, and on it a card which read, "For a brave little girl, from
Uncle William." Glancing up, her eyes rested on the sweet face of a
Madonna, which she guessed at once came from Aunt Zelie.
"How good they are to me!'" she exclaimed, feeling almost like
crying; but just then the canary in the window burst into a song, thus
calling attention to himself and to the pot of ivy from Miss Brown.
It was a morning of surprises. While her mother sat in her easy-chair,
with a more cheerful face than she had worn for years, Dora went about
finding every now and then something new. There were hyacinths from
Helen and Carie, Elsie's pincushion on the bureau, a table cover from
Constance, and on the sideboard a cunning teapot, with this touching
verse tied on the handle:
"Whene'er a cup of tea you drink,
Of me I hope you'll kindly think.
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