I will sew in this part , and you may finish putting the long strips together , ' said Aunt Pen , rummaging her bags and bundles for something fine to end off with . ' I know ! I 've got something ! ' and away hurried Lizzie , who was there , and much interested in the work . She came hopping back again , presently , with a roll in her hand , which she proudly spread out , saying -- ` There ! mother gave me that ever so long ago , but I never had any quilt to use it for , and now it 's just what you want . You ca n't buy such chintz now-a-days , and I 'm so glad I had it for you . ' ` It 's regularly splendid ! ' cried Patty , in a rapture ; and so it was , for the pink and white was all covered with animals , and the blue was full of birds and butterflies and bees flying about as naturally as possible . Really lovely were the little figures and the clear , soft colours , and Aunt Pen clapped her hands , while Patty hugged her friend , and declared that the quilt was perfect now . Mrs. Brown begged to be allowed to quilt it when the patches were all nicely put together , and Patty was glad to have her , for that part of the work was beyond her skill . It did not come home till the morning Patty left , and Aunt Pen packed it up without ever unrolling it . ` We will look at it together when we show it to mamma , ' she said : and Patty was in such a hurry to be off that she made no objection . A pleasant journey , a great deal of hugging and kissing , some tears and tender laments for baby , and then it was time to show the quilt , which mamma said was just what she wanted to throw over her feet as she lay on the sofa . If there were any fairies , Patty would have been sure they had done something to her bed-cover , for when she proudly unrolled it , what do you think she saw ? Right in the middle of the white star , which was the centre-piece , delicately drawn with indelible ink , was a smiling little cherub , all head and wings , and under it these lines -- ` While sister dear lies asleep , Baby careful watch will keep . ' Then in each of the four gay squares that were at the corners of the strip that framed the star , was a white bit bearing other pictures and couplets that both pleased and abashed Patty as she saw and read them . In one was seen a remarkably fine bun , with the lines -- ` Who stole the hot bun And got burnt well ? Go ask the lilac bush , Guess it can tell . ' In the next was a plump , tailless bird , who seemed to be saying mournfully -- ` My little tail , my little tail !
This bitter loss I still bewail ; But rather ne'er have tail again Than XXXXX should deceive Aunt Pen . '
Baby Brown Patty Pen bed-cover centre-piece cherub colours couplets now-a-days