The Birthday Party: A Story for Little Folks, Oliver Optic [most interesting books to read txt] 📗
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Writing the Notes.
The Riverdale Books.
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY.
A STORY FOR LITTLE FOLKS.
BY
OLIVER OPTIC,
author of “the boat club,” “all aboard,” “now or never,” “try
again,” “poor and proud,” “little by little,” &c.
BOSTON:
LEE AND SHEPARD,
(successors to phillips, sampson & co.)
1864.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1862, by
william t. adams,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.
electrotyped at the
boston stereotype foundry.
[Pg 7]
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY.
I.
Flora Lee’s birthday came in July. Her mother wished very much to celebrate the occasion in a proper manner. Flora was a good girl, and her parents were always glad to do any thing they could to please her, and to increase her[Pg 8] happiness.
They were very indulgent parents, and as they had plenty of money, they could afford to pay well for a “good time.” Yet they were not weak and silly in their indulgence. As much as they loved their little daughter, they did not give her pies and cakes to eat when they thought such articles would hurt her.
They did not let her lie in[Pg 9] bed till noon because they loved her, or permit her to do any thing that would injure her, either in body or mind. Flora always went to church, and to the Sunday school, and never cried to stay at home. If she had cried, it would have made no difference, for her father and mother meant to have her do right, whether she liked it or not.
But Flora gave them very[Pg 10] little trouble about such matters. Her parents knew best what was good for her, and she was willing in all things to obey them. It was for this reason that they were so anxious to please her, even at the expense of a great deal of time and money.
The birthday of Flora came on Wednesday, and school did not keep in the afternoon. All the children, therefore, could[Pg 11] attend the party which they intended to give in honor of the day.
About a week before the time, Mrs. Lee told Flora she might have the party, and wanted her to make out a list of all the children whom she wished to invite.
“I want to ask all the children in Riverdale,” said Flora, promptly.
“Not all, I think,” replied[Pg 12] Mrs. Lee.
“Yes, mother, all of them.”
“But you know there are a great many bad boys in town. Do you wish to invite them?”
“Perhaps, if we treat them well, they will be made better by it.”
“Would you like to have Joe Birch come to the party?”
“I don’t know, mother,” said Flora, musing.
“I think you had better invite[Pg 13] only those who will enjoy the party, and who will not be likely to spoil the pleasure of others. We will not invite such boys as Joe Birch.”
“Just as you think best, dear mother,” replied Flora. “Shall I ask such boys as Tommy Woggs?”
“Tommy isn’t a bad boy,” said Mrs. Lee, with a smile.
“I don’t know that he is;[Pg 14] but he is a very queer fellow. You said I had better not ask those who would be likely to spoil the pleasure of others.”
“Do you think, my child, Tommy Woggs will do so?”
“I am afraid he would; he is such a queer boy.”
“But Tommy is a great traveller, you know,” added Mrs. Lee, laughing.
“The boys and girls don’t like him, he pretends to be[Pg 15] such a big man. He knows more than all the rest of the world put together—at least, he thinks he does.”
“I think you had better ask him, for he will probably feel slighted if you don’t.”
“Very well, mother.”
“Now, Flora, I will take a pencil and paper and write down the names of all the boys and girls with whom you are acquainted; and you[Pg 16] must be careful not to forget any. Here comes Frank; he will help you.”
Frank was told about the party, and he was quite as much pleased with the idea as his sister had been; and both of them began to repeat the names of all the boys and girls they could remember.
For half an hour they were employed in this manner, and then the list was read over to[Pg 17] them, so as to be sure that no names had been omitted.
Flora and Frank now went through all the streets of Riverdale, in imagination, thinking who lived in each house; and when they had completed their journey in fancy, they felt sure they had omitted none.
“But we must invite cousins Sarah and Henry,” said Flora. “O, I hope they will come![Pg 18] Henry is so funny; we can’t do without them.”
“Perhaps they will come; at any rate we will send them invitations,” replied Mrs. Lee.
The next day, when the children had gone to school, Mrs. Lee went to the office of the Riverdale Gazette, which was the village newspaper, and had the invitations printed on nice gilt-edged paper.
By the following day Mrs.[Pg 19] Lee had written in the names of the children invited, enclosed the notes in envelopes, and directed them. I will give you a copy of one of them, that you may know how to write them when you have a birthday party, though I dare say it would do just as well if you go to your friends and ask them to attend. If you change the names and dates, this note will answer for any party.
Miss Flora Lee presents her compliments[Pg 20] to Miss Nellie Green, and requests the pleasure of her company on Wednesday afternoon, July 20.
Riverdale, July 15.
“Those are very fine indeed,” said Flora: “shall I put on my bonnet, and carry out some of them to-day?”
“No, my child; it is not quite the thing for you to carry your own invitations. I[Pg 21] will tell you what you may do. You may hire David White to deliver them for you. You must pay him for it; give him half a dollar, which will be a good thing for him.”
This plan was adopted, and Frank was sent with the notes and the money over to the poor widow’s cottage.
“Don’t you think it is very wicked, mother, for rich folks to have parties, when the money they cost will do so[Pg 22] much good to the poor?” asked Flora.
“I do not think so, my dear child.”
“Well, I think so, mother,” added Flora, warmly.
“Perhaps you do not fully understand it.”
“I think I do.”
“Why should it be wicked for you to enjoy yourself?”
“I don’t think it is wicked to enjoy myself, but only to[Pg 23] spend money for such things. You said you were going to have the Riverdale Band, and that the music would cost more than twenty dollars.”
“I did, and the supper will cost at least twenty more; for I have spoken to the confectioner to supply us with ice cream, cake, jellies, and other luxuries. We shall have a supply of strawberries and[Pg 24] cream, and all the nice things of the season. We must also erect a tent in the garden, in which we shall have the supper; but after tea I will tell you all about it.”
[Pg 25]
[Pg 26]
Flora and her Father.
[Pg 27]
II.Flora could not help thinking how much good the forty dollars, which her father would have to pay for the birthday party, would do if given to the poor.
It seemed to her just like spending the money for a few hours’ pleasure; and even if they had a fine time, which she[Pg 28] was quite sure they would have, it would be soon over, and not do any real good.
Forty dollars was a great deal of money. It would pay Mrs. White’s rent for a whole year; it would clothe her family, and feed them nearly all the next winter. It appeared to her like a shameful waste; and these thoughts promised to take away a great deal from the pleasure of the occasion.
“I think, mother, I had just[Pg 29] as lief not have the band, and only have a supper of bread and butter and seed cakes.”
“Why, Flora, what has got into you?” said her father.
Mrs. Lee laughed at the troubled looks of Flora, and explained to her father the nature of her scruples in regard to the party.
“Where did the child get this foolish idea?” asked her[Pg 30] father, who thought her notions were too old and too severe for a little girl.
“Didn’t I see last winter how much good only a little money would do?” replied Flora.
“Don’t you think it is wicked for me to live in this great house, keep five or six horses, and nine or ten servants, when I could live in a little house, like Mrs. White?” laughed Mr. Lee.
“All the money you spend[Pg 31] would take care of a dozen families of poor folks,” said Flora.
“That is very true. Suppose I should turn away all the men and women that work for me,—those, I mean, who work about the house and garden,—and give the money I spend in luxuries to the poor.”
“But what would John and[Pg 32] Peter, Hannah and Bridget do then? They would lose their places, and not be able to earn any thing. Why, no, father; Peter has a family; he has got three children, and he must take care of them.”
“Ah, you begin to see it—do you?” said Mr. Lee, with a smile. “All that I spend upon luxury goes into the pockets of the farmer, mechanic, and laborer.”
“I see that, father,” replied[Pg 33] Flora, looking as bright as sunshine again; “but all the money spent on my party will be wasted—won’t it?”
“Not a cent of it; my child. If I were a miser, and kept my money in an iron safe, and lived like a poor man, I should waste it then.”
“But twenty dollars for the Riverdale Band is a great deal to give for a few hours’ service.[Pg 34] It don’t do any good, I think.”
“Yes, it does; music improves our minds and hearts. It makes us happy. I have engaged six men to play. They are musicians only at such times as they can get a job. They are shoemakers, also, and poor men; and the money which I shall pay them will help support their families and educate them.”
“What a fool I was, father!”[Pg 35] exclaimed Flora.
“O, no; not so bad as that; for a great many older and wiser persons than yourself have thought just what you think.”
“But the supper, father,—the ice cream, the cake, and the lemonade,—won’t all the money spent for these things be wasted?”
“No more than the money[Pg 36] spent for the music. The confectioner and those whom he employs depend upon their work for the means of supporting themselves and their families.”
“So they do, father. And when you have a party, you are really doing good to the poor.”
“That depends upon circumstances,” replied Mr. Lee. “I don’t think it would be[Pg 37] an act of charity for a person who could not afford it to give a party. I only mean to say that when we spend money for that which does not injure us or any body else, what we spend goes into the pockets of those who need it.
“A party—a proper party, I mean, such a one as you will have—is a good thing in itself. Innocent amusement is just as necessary as food and drink.
“God has given me wealth,[Pg 38] Flora, and he expects me to do all the good I can with it. I hold it as his steward. Now, when I pay one of these musicians three or four dollars for an afternoon’s work, I do him a favor as well as you and those whom you invite to your party.
“And I hope the party will make you love one another more than ever before.[Pg 39] I hope the music will warm your hearts, and that the supper will make you happy, and render you thankful to the Giver of all things for his constant bounty.”
“How funny that I should make such a blunder!” exclaimed Flora. “I am sure I shall enjoy my party a great deal more now that I understand these things.”
“I hope you won’t understand[Pg 40] too much, Flora. Suppose you had only
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