"Hush, baby, my doll, I pray you don't cry."
The merry jingle of "Humpty Dumpty" is fitting for a table devoted to Easter eggs and cards, Easter bonbons, and other timely trifles, and could be easily allowed to include stationery, menu cards, pen-wipers, and all the pretty conceits agreeable to use when writing one's thanks for an Easter gift.
"Needles and pins, needles and pins," is the motto for a table where should be shown dainty doilies, tea-cloths, bits of drawn-work, and all the pretty pieces of needle-work it is possible for your skilful fingers to make, or kind friends to give you. Do not fail to try and get enough toy watches, tiny pins, beads, and ornamental trifles—things that make a good time, you can say, because "Hickory, dickory, dock," etc., is such a pretty legend for a booth, especially with an old-fashioned tall clock to add to the decorations.
"Daffo-down-dilly has come to town
In a fine petticoat and a green gown,"
is a charming verse for a flower, which the smiling faces of girls in costumes representing flowers will yet further decorate.
"Handy Spandy Jack-a-Dandy
Loves plum-cake and sugar-candy,"
should be the jingle for the candy table, and the boys and girls can exercise their ingenuity in appearing in character—one a chocolate cream, another a striped stick, another a pink peppermint, and so on. But whatever you do, do not forget the little kindergarteners in your households. They are so proud of their bits of work, and would be so glad to give something for the poor sick babies. Take the mats and sewing-cards, and make them into sachet-bags, pin-trays, blotters, cornucopias, needle-books, "scratch-my-backs," with ribbons and fringed papers. Let the verse over these childish offerings be,
"I saw a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing on the sea;
And, O, it was all laden
With pretty things for thee,"
and trim the booth with the paper chains, stars, and the like; also the work of the little ones.