. St. Nicholas [serial] . ious legacy leftby Margaret Atkins to her childwas the universal testimony tothe sunny sweetness of her na-ture, her forgetfulness of self, hervivid interest in whatever con-cerned those near her. You re not a bit like her,continued Virginia, even if youwere born on her birthday. Doyou suppose she would be think-ing about tables covered withpresents for herself? The scolding of the OtherVirginia came to a sudden end, the hair-brushstopped midway—a glorious idea leaped intoexistence. Before she fell happily asleep she had plannedit all out — she would celebrate her own
. St. Nicholas [serial] . ious legacy leftby Margaret Atkins to her childwas the universal testimony tothe sunny sweetness of her na-ture, her forgetfulness of self, hervivid interest in whatever con-cerned those near her. You re not a bit like her,continued Virginia, even if youwere born on her birthday. Doyou suppose she would be think-ing about tables covered withpresents for herself? The scolding of the OtherVirginia came to a sudden end, the hair-brushstopped midway—a glorious idea leaped intoexistence. Before she fell happily asleep she had plannedit all out — she would celebrate her own birth-day and her mothers! No one thought anything of it that Virginia, during the next weeks, kept pretty closely in herown room after school. The aunts were alwaysbusy with the affairs of the orderly , Virginia was always quiet; she re-spected grandpas dislike of noise. Virginias birthdays were by no means en-tirely overlooked. It was the judges customto add, on her birthday and on Christmas, fifty. YOU KNOW VERY WELL, SAID VIRGINIA TO HERSELF IN THE GLASS. dollars to the sum accumulating for the collegeexpenses of Margarets child; his daughtersgave twenty-five dollars each. Few girls receive gifts of the value of onehundred dollars. Yet, deep in her heart, Vir-ginia preferred the tree and the party for hergirl friends, although she said that grandpa was I9°5-] THE BIRTHDAY OF VIRGINIA. 585 so kind and Aunt Mary and Aunt Esther did everything. Indeed, the judge and hisdaughters would have given their last dollar forMargarets child; they did not know that herlife lacked anything. On Friday evening, the 9th, Judge Atkinslooked up from his newspaper to his daughtersbusily sewing on Virginias things, when thebell rang violently. It was a telegram from Ed-ward : his wife, with the two children and nurse,would arrive in the morning for a weeks visit. When Virginia came down next morning,rooms were being prepared for the expectedguests. This was but the third
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