The box of
furniture was addressed to herself and Darling, as a joint possession,
and the sweetmeats were tied in bags of muslin. The tree looked
charming. The very angel at the top seemed proud of it.
"I'll leave the tea-things up-stairs," said Mother.
But Madam Liberality shook her head vigorously. She had been making up
her mind, as she sat steaming over the old teapot; and now she wrote
on her slate, "Put a white cloth round the tub, and put out the
tea-things like a tea-party, and put a ticket in the slop-basin--_For
Darling. With very_, VERY _Best Love_. Make the last 'very' very big."
Madam Liberality's mother nodded, but she was printing a ticket; much
too large a ticket, however, to go into the green and white
slop-basin. When it was done she hung it on the tree, under the angel.
The inscription was--_From Madam Liberality_.
When supper was over, she came up to Madam Liberality's room, and
said,
"Now, my dear, if you like to change your mind and put off the tree
till you are better, I will say nothing about it."
But Madam Liberality shook her head more vehemently than before, and
her mother smiled and went away.
Madam Liberality strained her ears.
Pages:
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273