PATTY 'S PATCHWORK . ' I perfectly hate it ! and something dreadful ought to be done to the woman who invented it , ' said Patty , in a pet , sending a shower of gay pieces flying over the carpet as if a small whirlwind and a rainbow had got into a quarrel . Puss did not agree with Patty , for , after a surprised hop when the flurry came , she calmly laid herself down on a red square , purring comfortably and winking her yellow eyes , as if she thanked the little girl for the bright bed that set off her white fur so prettily . This cool performance made Patty laugh , and say more pleasantly -- ` Well , it is tiresome , is n't it , Aunt Pen ? ' ` Sometimes ; but we all have to make patchwork , my dear , and do the best we can with the pieces given us . ' ` Do we ? ' and Patty opened her eyes in great astonishment at this new idea . ` Our lives are patchwork , and it depends on us a good deal how the bright and dark bits get put together so that the whole is neat , pretty , and useful when it is done , ' said Aunt Pen soberly . ` Deary me , now she is going to preach , ' thought Patty ; but she rather liked Aunt Pen 's preachments , for a good deal of fun got mixed up with the moralising ; and she was so good herself that children could never say in their naughty little minds , ` You are just as bad as we , so you need n't talk to us , ma'am . ' ' I gave you that patchwork to see what you would make of it , and it is as good as a diary to me , for I can tell by the different squares how you felt when you made them , ' continued Aunt Pen , with a twinkle in her eye as she glanced at the many-coloured bits on the carpet . ` Can you truly ? just try and see , ' and Patty looked interested at once . Pointing with the yard-measure , Aunt Pen said , tapping a certain dingy , puckered , brown and purple square -- ` That is a bad day ; do n't it look so ? ' ` Well , it was , I do declare ! for that was the Monday piece , when everything went wrong and I did n't care how my work looked , ' cried Patty , surprised at Aunt Pen 's skill in reading the calico diary . ` This pretty pink and white one so neatly sewed is a good day ; this funny mixture of red , blue , and yellow with the big stitches is a merry day ; that one with spots on it is one that got cried over ; this with the gay flowers is a day full of good little plans and resolutions ; and that one made of dainty bits , all stars and dots and tiny leaves , is the one you made when you were thinking about the dear new baby there at home . ' ` Why , Aunt Pen , you are a fairy ! How did you know ? they truly are just as you say , as near as I can remember .
I rather like that sort of patchwork , ' and XXXXX sat down upon the floor to collect , examine , and arrange her discarded work with a new interest in it . '
Deary Patty Pen Puss day moralising pieces preachments something yard-measure