MAMSEY’S GIGLIO SPOON.

ingly skipped. It proved that Folly’s inspiration had spread through the family
in a way Mamsey had failed to divine.

Laddie and Lell came first with their offerings — bookmarks. Laddie’s was
blue and Lell’s was rose — because she is a bit of a rosebud herself,

Object-blind folk might have seen only two colored cardboard slips with a
pearly hand at the end of each, and along whose length meandered the modern
legend: “ Pear’s Soap. Insures a Skin Like Ivory.”

But Mamsey saw two dainty birthday gifts from loving baby hearts. Bonnie
had worked day and night over an embroidered tea-cloth which she now pre-
sented wrapped in the folds of Garva’s latest newspaper.

Best and last appeared a slender package of soft white tissue-paper, upon
which was written: “ For my precious darling Mamsey.”

Mamsey made big eyes; she was never so surprised in her life. Slowly she
unrolled the soft tissue to find the prettiest of silver spoons with a golden bowl,
twisted stem and device of the Florentine giglio.

Now, Folly knows that Mamsey loves the giglio, emblem of Florence, the
fair flower city. It is a conventionalized lily, or rather iris, such as spring wild
and free upon the meadows and hills about Florence. Even before the old, old
days of the Florentine Republic, the blue iris and the deep red lilies of the fields
had bestowed upon the old walled town the appellation that is hers to-day, the
“Lily City.” Mamsey promised to use the giglio spoon for her “ very special
own,” whereupon all the younglings jumped about the room in delight. All
but Don whose face was overcast.

“T only have nothing to give. I did not think of it. Why should the others
think always and never I? I should love to give you something, Mamsey.”

It was so like our moony Don. His voice trembled and his throat choked
with the big lump we all find so hard to swallow. Mamsey smiled at him.

“Let me tell you, Don; I bought myself a new inkstand the other day. A
red one with a lid that clicks. You might make me a present of it. It is
stupid to buy things for one’s self. The inkstand shall be your gift to me.”

Don’s face grew suddenly radiant.

“Oh! I'm so glad, Mamsey. Besides, it is useful, ’specially for you.

“ After writing, Mamsey will refresh herself with a cup of tea served on my
tea-cloth,” said Bonnie.

“ And sip her tea with the giglio spoon,” chirruped Folly, with a flourish of
two hilarious heels in the air — so very expressive that it left nothing more to
be said.

Jean Porter Rudd.