ed before me the hot-water plate with the tin cover to it--a very
useful article when there happens to be an invalid in the house.

Eliza, bending down behind the tea-cosy to hide her smile, told me to
be quick with my breakfast, in rather a censorious voice. I lifted the
tin cover, and there on the plate was the pen-wiper which Eliza had
made for me.

This rather graceful and amusing way of giving a present is not really
Eliza's own invention. I did it some years ago when I gave her a
pincushion. As the pincushion was made to imitate a poached egg (and
really very like), perhaps the humour in that instance had rather more
point. However, I do not say this at all to find fault with Eliza. I am
rather one to think of novelties, and if Eliza cares to copy any of
them, so much the better.

* * * * *

The top and bottom of the pen-wiper which Eliza had made for me were of
black velvet, which always has a handsome look to my mind. On the top
was worked in gold beads, "Kindly clean the pen." The interior was
composed of several folds of very pale shades of art muslin. Only the
day before Messrs. Howlett & Bast had refused to send any more
patterns, as the last lot sent had not been returned, though twice
applied for. I understood that now.

However, it made a very good pen-wiper, in pleasant, simple taste, and
I thanked Eliza for it several times most warmly. At my suggestion it
was placed on the centre-table in the drawing-room. One never wrote
there, but it seemed naturally to belong to the drawing-room.

* * * * *

So far, my birthday had gone happily enough. In the evening, when I
returned from the city, I sat down to write a short, sharp note to
Messrs. Howlett & Bast. I explained to them that by their impertinence
they were running a grave risk of entirely losing my custom, and
suggested to them that the lot of patterns to which they referred might
very possibly have been lost in the post.

When I had finished the letter, I wiped my pen on the inside of my
coat. This is my general custom. Some men wipe their pens on their
hair,--not a very cleanly habit, in my opinion,--besides, unless the
colour of the hair is exceptionally dark, the ink shows.

I had no sooner wiped my pen on the inside of my coat than I remembered
Eliza's present. Determined to show her that I appreciated it, I took a
full dip of ink, stepped into the drawing-