name-card.

Gleefully the children took their places, and laughed merrily at the
funny little souvenirs that stood at their plates.

Kingdon had a jolly pig, made of a lemon, with wooden toothpicks stuck
in for legs, a curly tail made of a bit of celery, and two black-headed
pins for eyes.

Marjorie had a horse made of a carrot, which looked like a very frisky
steed, indeed.

"It should have been made of a horse-radish," said Mr. Maynard, who was
the originator of these toys, "but I feared that would make you weep
instead of laugh."

Molly had a gay-looking figure, whose head was a fig, his body a potato,
and his legs and arms bunches of raisins. He wore a red fez with a
feather in it, and a red tunic tied with gold braid.

Kitty had a nut doll, whose head was a hazelnut, and its body an English
walnut. Its feet and hands were peanuts, stuck on the ends of matches.

Rosy Posy had a card on which were several white mice. These were made
of blanched almonds, fastened to the card by stitches of thread, which
looked like tiny legs and tails.

Mrs. Maynard found at her place a tiny figure of a dancing girl. The
head was a small white grape, and the body and ruffled skirts were
merely a large carnation turned upside down.

And Mr. Maynard's own souvenir was a funny old fat man, whose body was
an apple, and his head a hickory nut.

Molly had never seen such toys before, and she was enraptured with them,
declaring she should learn to make them for her friends at home.

"You can do it, if you try," said Marjorie, sagely; "but they aren't
easy to make. Father does them so beautifully, because he is patient and
careful. But you and I, Molly, are too slapdash. We'd never take pains
to make them so neatly."

"Yes, I would," declared Molly, positively; "because I see how nice they
look when they're done well! I don't want any broken-legged pigs, or
tumble-to-pieces dolls."

"That's the way to talk," said Mr. Maynard, approvingly; "I foresee,
Molly, we shall be great friends, and I'll teach you the noble art of
what I call 'pantry sculpture.'"

After the turkey and other substantial dishes had been disposed of,
dessert was brought, and, to the great delight of the children, it
comprised many and various confections.

First, there was placed at each plate a dear little mince pie, hot, and
covered with a drift of powdered sugar. In the middle of each pie stood
a lighted candle.

"Oh, ho, it's somebody's birthday!"