articlesforchristians

Mother,” said Polly, “can you make us a tent?”

“A tent?” asked mother. “What for?”

“To play in, mother. Some of the other children have tents. I should like one.”

“Perhaps they bought theirs, Polly.”

“Yes, they did, mother. But I thought that maybe you could make one. You do make us things.”

“Perhaps I can, Polly. Let me see. Yes, I think of a way. Come and help me.”

Mother went out into the back kitchen. She had some clotheshorses there.

She said, “Take hold of the end of this clotheshorse, Polly. We will carry it out of doors. It is quite heavy. But you can do it. Now here is a good place. We will stand it up. Let us go for the other.”

“They are just the shape of some tents,” said Polly. “How did you think of them, mother? But they are not quite right. They have no roofs.”

“That is so, Polly. We will find something for roofs.”

The two clotheshorses were set up side by side. Some old blankets and shawls were spread over them.

“Oh, goody, goody!” shouted Polly. “Now we have our tents. They are good ones, too. Thank you, mother.”

“What shall we play?” asked Peter.

“Come into my tent, Peter. We will sit down. Guess what I thought of playing.”

“Is it soldiers?” asked Peter. “Soldiers sleep in tents.”

“No, but soldiers would be a good game. We can play that sometime. Guess again.”

“Hunters,” said Peter. “When father goes hunting and fishing, he has a tent.”

“No, but that would be a good game. I shall remember that one.”

.”You tell, then,” said Peter. “I cannot spend anymore time guessing.”

“We will get mother to let us have something to eat. We will have a tent picnic.”

“That is a good game, Polly. What can we have to eat? And can we have something to drink?”

“We can have bread and sugar, and bread and jelly. And maybe we can have cookies. Perhaps mother will make us some lemonade. It is quite a hot day.”

“Let us ask her now,” said Peter, “I am very hungry.”

“Oh, oh, oh!” cried Polly. “I have thought of something better. Let us have lemonade to sell. We can charge two cents a glass. Perhaps somebody will buy.”

“I should rather have the picnic,” said Peter. “I told you that I am very hungry.”

“But you like to keep store, Peter. You will like to play this.”

“All right,” said Peter. “Let us ask mother.”

Mother said, “Yes.” She went into the kitchen to make lemonade and sandwiches.

“May we take the four wooden chairs that are in the back kitchen, mother?” asked Polly. “We will put boards across them. They will be our counters.”

Mother said, “Yes,” again. So Peter and Polly made a counter in front of Peter’s tent. Then, with the two other chairs, they made a counter in front of Polly’s tent.

Mother gave them some clean glasses. She said, “You can use each glass only once. It is not right to let anyone drink out of a used glass. Polly, you may sell the lemonade.”

“Then Peter may sell the sandwiches,” said Polly. “He likes those best, so he will be glad. See, Peter! You have three plates full of sandwiches. Do not eat them all.”

“No,” said Peter. “I will leave a few to sell.” And he sat down on the grass behind his counter.

After a few minutes he said, “I am getting tired of waiting for someone to buy. I am going to begin to eat my things up now.”