live miles away and come to visit you Christmas and summer times.
A grandmother is always glad to see you.

Grandmother Hastings was short and plumpy and her white hair was
curly and her eyes were blue. She had pink cheeks and wore a blue
dress and a white apron with a frilly bib, and altogether, Brother
thought privately, she looked very nice indeed.

"I'm very glad to get that pattern," she told him, patting the
long leaves of the fern and spreading them out to catch the rain.
"I've a magazine you can take back to Mother, dearie, and an old
fashion book Sister will like for paper dolls. Come into the
sitting-room while I find them for you. Take off your rubbers,
child."

Brother followed her into the house and there Aunt Kate swooped
upon him and tickled him as she always did. Aunt Kate was a school
teacher. In summer she tutored backward pupils. She was on her way
to give a lesson now and in a few minutes she went away merrily
into the driving rain. That left Grandmother and Brother to
entertain each other.

"Do you know what Ralph is going to give me for a birthday
present, Grandmother?" Brother asked, dropping flat on his stomach
to play jungle with the tigerskin that lay before the fireplace.
"He says if I'm not tall enough I can't have it. But he's bought
it all ready--he said so."

Brother, you see, would be six years old in a few days. He
couldn't help thinking a great deal about his birthday.