OCR Text |
Show U04 Eveiiig Fairy Tale jyiAP&f GRAHAM BONNER r W VtlTllH HW1W WlOH NEW YEAR'S STOCKING Mneirta was a little cirl and she Ived with her mother and her father ind her older sisters and brothers. The sisters und brothers were a good deal older than Maggie, and they all made a great pet of her. Her father called her "My daughter" and "My Dupps." No one knew Just what It meant, but Maggie knew that It was a little short pet-name of her father's own invention which meant daughter. Maggie's mother called her "Little cub" which, too, was a pet name, as she was so like a dear little fat, roily, round cubl Everyone loved Maggie and she had a beautiful time, and no one ever spoke a cross word to her. In fact, no one thought It was necessary nec-essary In Maggie's family to be cross. And ho one was selfish and no one was mean because of this. It only made every one want to be sweet and unselfish living with such a kindly and loving family. Now Santa Claus had been to see Maggie and had left such a splendid Christmas stocking for her. All sorts of nice things had been In It, a rubber doll for her bath, and ten Such a Nice Stocking. bright new pennies to start a lovely new red purse with, so the purse wouldn't feel too empty. It was nice, too, having a little money right after Christmas for Maggie Mag-gie had spent all her savings before Christmas. Then there had been a handsome doll named Johnny Naples. He, too, had been In the stocking. He had a suit of many colors, and It was decorated with beads. His eyes were of beads, too, and 1.1s hair was of worsted. But he wns a dashing-loolilng dashing-loolilng gentleman and Maggie deany loved lilm. Then she was given a cunning little cloth dog. Ever since Christmas he had gone to bed with her, and even though he never seemed to close his eyes, he was as quiet a bed fellow as could be. He never snored and he never tossed and be never turned, and he liked to stay In bed as long as Maggie did. In the holidays Maggie stayed in bed later In the mornings thun on the other oth-er days of the year when there was school. But now Maggie's stocking wns quite, quite empty, as of course a Christmas stocking would be by New Year's eve. "I think I will put my stocking away," said Maggie. "I've taken everything ev-erything out of It now. For awhile It was such fun to keep a few things In It, and Johnny Naples slept In It for awhile. He found it nice, too." "I wouldn't put It away until after the New Year," said Maggie's mother. "That seems to be the best time of all." "Shall I have Johnny Naples sleep In It again?" Maggie asked. "I think not." sua I Maggie's father. "I think it would be nice If Johnny Naples sat up tonight and watched the Old Year Out and the New Year In. "I feel sure he would like to do this." And Johnny Naples looked from out his bead eyes In a way which showed that he agreed. So the stocking was not put away and Johnny Naples sat up end watched the Old Year out and the New Year In. And Maggie went to bed. The next morning when she got up there sat Johnny Naples on the sofa, and hanging down over I lie top of the sofa was Maggie's stocking tilled right up. "I thought," said Maggie's futher "that I would fill a stocking. I knew Santa Claus wouldn't mind, as I wasn't taking away any of his time from him. Christinas Is his day, and New Year's Day he Is resting. "So I filled the stocklng-but not at all as Santa Claus litis the Christmas Christ-mas stocking." There In Maggie's stocking were nil kinils of nuts and rulslns and pop corn, a little box of bard candles, some dates and an apple and an orange, a pair of new warm knitted stockings from her mother und a pair of shoes from her daddy, and It made a most delightful delight-ful New Year's stocking. "Oh, how wonderful," cried Maggie, "and what a nice stocking. Such a nice stocking for New Year's so different dif-ferent from Santa's, we wouldn't really real-ly and truly wunt Christmas twice a year, and a Christmas and a New Year s treat Just like this Is fine." And Johnny Naples looked very much pleased. One look at his bend aa shnwpil that I |