had
not seen Pansy since she was very tiny, so her thought was more perhaps
about helping Pansy's mother than pleasing Pansy herself. And so the
present was sure to be a new frock--or stuff to make one with, or a nice
jacket, or even once--that was _rather_ a funny present for a little
girl, I think--a new set of china tea-cups and saucers and plates and
milk jugs and everything complete for a nursery tea-service.

But "to make up" for godmother's presents being so very "useful,"
Pansy's mother always gave her something pretty and pleasant, a doll, or
some doll's furniture, or picture books or some nice ornament for her
room. Any little girl of six or seven can easily fancy the kind of
presents I mean.

This sixth birthday, however, was going to be rather different. For on
this day the godmother thought it was time to give Pansy a present of
another kind. What that was, I will tell you in the next part.

[Illustration]

PANSY'S PRESENTS.

PART II.

The birthday was on a Wednesday. And though it was only May the weather
for a wonder was mild and sunny. Northclough for once was looking almost
bright.

"It _is_ nice for you to have such a fine day to be six years old on,
Miss Pansy dear," said nurse, when she came in to wake up the two little
sisters and to give her own birthday present of a neat little pincushion
for Pansy's toilet table. And the boys had something for her too, at
least it was called "the boys'," to please Charley, though in reality it
was Bob who had bought it, or the things to make "it" with. For the "it"
was a little blotting-book covered outside with thick cardboard on
which pretty pictures were pasted. It was very cleverly made, for Bob
was wonderfully neat-handed for such a little boy, and it had taken
quite a lot of contrivance to get it done without his sister's finding
out about it. And Ruth's present was a pen-wiper.

Pansy _was_ pleased.

"I can write to godmother now without having to ask mamma to lend me her
writing-case," she said. "I suppose," she went on, "I shall have to
write to her to-day; there's sure to be a useful present come from her,"
and Pansy sighed a little, for the writing to godmother was the one part
of her birthday she did _not_ enjoy.

Nurse could not help smiling at what she would have called Miss Pansy's
"old-fashioned" way of speaking. She always talked of godmother's
"useful presents," because she had so often been told that frocks and
jackets and