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Show DADDY'S p ! EVEIIIMG i MaryGrahem Bonner CHRISTMAS DOLL Betty had been very busy of late. It was Christmas time and there were so many letters to write to Santa Claus, as well as all the little presents she was making for her mother, her auntie, her sister, her brother, her daddy and her grandmother. She was making a centerpiece for ! her mother. It wasn't very easy to make but Grandma did all the hard parts. She was making a pen wiper for Auntie and she found that much easier as all she did was to sew a bright button in the center of several pieces of material placed on top of each other. Then she trimmed the ends to make It look gay and like a present. She trimmed them none too evenly but as Auntie had said last Christmas when she had also given her a pen wiper : "1 like my pen wiper to be different. Then every one will know it is mine." She was making an initial on a handkerchief for her sister and one on a towel for her grandmother, and her chtddy and her brother were each going go-ing to have a necktie from her. All this of course had kept her busy, but her letter writing took up even more time. She wanted, more than anything in the world, a baby doll with blue eyes and pink cheeks and golden cutis. She wanted it to be dressed like a baby, too, with a cap on Its head and long clothes, and she wanted it to be able to say "Mamma" when she pressed it and loved it .and hugged it. She already loved the doll she had thought of so often in her mind. "Dear Santa Claus:" she wrote again and again, "I know you are dreadfully busy and have so much to do with all the children in the world wanting toys and presents and everything. every-thing. But, dear Santa Claus, I only want a baby doll. If you aren't too busy I would like a candy elephant I could make last a long time and a bed for my old dolly Miranda. Miranda's Mi-randa's bed is broken and she would love another. And I would like a new pair of mittens blue is my favorite color. But I do want a baby doll more than anything. Dear Santa, I want It Was Christmas Morning. her to have blue eyes and pink cheeks and bright golden curls and I want her to say 'Mamma' when I hug her. And I hope she wears a cap and long dresses. I do hope you have been well, Santa dear. Mamma and Grandma, Auntie and even my big sister say I've been just as good as could be. and that's being very good for me. So, Santa, I hope you can give me a baby doll. I didn't do very well in arithmetic In school but I got perfect in spelling and Improving in conduct Grandma has helped me spell this letter. let-ter. "Dear Santa Claus, I love you heaps 1 and heaps. I send you so many kisses and a huge, big, big hug. I would love my baby doll all my life. Your devoted de-voted friend, Betty. I live In the second sec-ond white house, down the road, with the two maple trees in front There aren't any leaves on the trees now but my daddy says you're so smart you can tell a maple tree without its leaves. Your loving Eetty." She had written that letter, or one just about like it, so many times. And she had called up the chimney to Santa Claus every night before she had gone to bed, not once but several times at least. ', When Christmas eve came she really did not know how she could wait until the morning. It was almost, almost impossible to wait. She was sure she would not be able to sleep at all, but somehow the very thought of the doll 1 soothed her to sleep, and the first 1 thing she knew was that a tiny sound, j coming from somewhere, had awak- I ened her. I She rubbed her eyes and looked around and tried to remember what it was all about. Then she knew! It was Christmas morning! And there, right on the pillow beside her, was the baby doll just ' exactly the way j she had wanted It to be. How won- j derful, wonderful Santa Claus was ! She took the doll up and bugged i her, and again came that tiny sound ', that had awakened her "Mamma. I Mamma." So she had hugged the doll, 1 or pressed the doll before she had J awakened and Santa's gift had told ! her it was Christmas morning. "My darling, darling baby. Mother ' will love you all your life," she Said j to the dnll, and the doll s blue eyes : smiled and her golden curls looked ! jolly and any one could have told, j from one glance, that the doll was ' just as pleased and delighted with ' her mother Betty as Eety was with j ber 1 I |