"Oh William, William, 'tis quite plain to see
That all your life, you will a monkey be."
He thought his cousin Mary had sent it, because he saw that she was trying very hard to look grave—so he sent this to her:
"Dear Mary, you are too severe,
You are too bad, I do declare;
Your motto has upset me quite,
I shan't get over it to-night."
Mary laughed when she read it, and said she had been just as cruel to Thomas, for she had sent him this—
"The rose is red, the violet blue,
The grass is green and so are you."
They had a good laugh at Thomas, but as he laughed as hard as any one, it did no harm. Little Sarah had a great many mottoes. Her Mamma read them to her, and it pleased her very much. She said it was a very nice play, but she was tired with sitting such a long time at table, so her Mother let her slip down from her chair.
Very soon all the rest got up, and went up stairs in the parlor. But what was that in the middle of the room? It seemed to be a large table covered all over with a cloth. What could it be? Willy said, "Grandma, that table looks as if something was on it;" and little Sarah said, "Grandma, I guess Santa Claus has been here."
"Yes, dear children," said their Grandma, "Santa Claus has been here, and this time he looked very much like your Grandpa. He will be up soon, and then we will see what is on the table."
Oh how the children did wish to peep! They could not look at any thing else; they danced and jumped round the table, and were in a great hurry for their Grandpa. In a few minutes he came into the room, and all the children ran up to him and said, "Dear Grandpa, do let us see what you have got on the table."
He smiled, and went to the table and took the cloth off. The children were so astonished that they could not say a single word; the table was covered with beautiful things, and under it was something that looked like a little red-brick house.