Marjorie's New Friend. Wells Carolyn

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СКАЧАТЬ and soon they were all out on the brown, dry, winter grass.

      "Catch!" and then Mr. Maynard threw to one and another, some swift, white balls. They were really white pop-corn balls, but at first they looked like snowballs.

      The children caught on at once, and soon two or three dozen balls were whizzing from each to each, and they had the jolliest game! The balls were too light to hurt if they hit them, yet solid enough to throw well.

      To be sure, they broke to bits after many tosses, but the game lasted a half hour, and then Mr. Maynard declared that it was tree time.

      "Sounds like tea-time," said Kitty, as they trooped in.

      "Sounds a whole lot better than that!" said King.

      The tree was in the living-room. It had been brought in, and trimmed after the children went to bed the night before. So they had had no glimpse of it, and were now more than eager to see its glories.

      "Are we all here?" asked Mr. Maynard, as he looked over the group in the hall, awaiting the opening of the doors.

      "All but Uncle Steve," said Marjorie. "Why doesn't he come?"

      "We won't wait for him," said Mr. Maynard, and he gave a loud knock on the double doors of the living-room.

      Like magic the doors flew open, and waiting to receive them was Santa

      Claus himself!

      His jolly, smiling face was very red-cheeked, and his white hair and beard streamed down over his red coat, which was of that belted round-about shape that seems to be Santa Claus's favorite fashion.

      His red coat and trousers were trimmed with white fur and gold braid, and his high boots were covered with splashes of white that looked like snow. He wore a fur trimmed red cap, and big gold-rimmed spectacles. The latter, with the very red cheeks and long white beard, so changed Uncle Steve's appearance that at first no one seemed to recognize him.

      But they knew in a moment, and Marjorie grasped one hand and Kitty the other, as they cried out:

      "Hello, Uncle Santa Claus! how did you get so snowy?"

      "I came down from the arctic regions, my dears," said the smiling saint, "and up there we have perpetual snow."

      "It seems to be perpetual on your boots," observed King; "I'm sure it won't melt off at all!"

      "Yes, it's first-class snow," agreed Santa Claus, looking at his boots, which were really splashed with white-wash. "And here's little Miss Rosy Posy," he continued, picking up the baby, who, at first, was a little shy of the strange-looking figure. "This is the very little girl I've come to see, and she must pick something off the tree!"

      Rosy Posy recognized Uncle Steve's voice now, and contentedly nestled in his arms as he carried her to the tree. And such a tree as it was!

      It reached to the ceiling, and its top boughs had been cut off to get it in the room at all.

      The blinds had been closed, and the shades drawn, in order that the illuminations of the tree might shine out brightly, and the gorgeous sight quite took the children's breath away.

      The big tree was in the end of the room, and not only did sparkling tinsel rope deck the green branches, but its strands also reached out to the wall on either side, so that the tree seemed to be caught in an immense silver spider-web. Sparkling ornaments decked every limb and twig, and shining among them were hundreds of tiny electric lights of different colors.

      Many beautiful presents hung on the tree, without wrappings of any sort to hide their pretty effect, and many more gifts, tied in be-ribboned papers, lay on the floor beneath.

      Altogether, it looked as if the whole end of the room were a sort of glittering fairyland, and the children promptly agreed it was the most beautiful tree they had ever had.

      As Santa Claus held Baby Rosamond up to select for herself a gift from the tree, he held her so that she faced a big doll, almost as large as herself.

      "Oh, that will be my dollie!" she announced, holding out her little arms.

      The big doll was detached from its perch and handed to the child, who ran to nurse with her treasure, and would not be parted from it all day long.

      Then said Santa Claus: "Marjorie, next, may come and choose anything she would like to use."

      He offered his arm, and, with exaggerated ceremony, led Midget to the tree.

      She was a little bewildered by the glitter, and the variety of gifts hanging about, but she spied a lovely muff and boa of fluffy white fur that she felt sure must be meant for her.

      At any rate they were her choice, and Santa Claus gave them to her with hearty assurance that she had chosen well.

      Then he announced: "Next, of course, is little Kitty. Choose, my dear!

      Take something pretty!"

      Kitty advanced slowly. She knew well what she wanted, but she didn't see it on or under the tree.

      Santa Claus watched her roving eyes and then said: "If you don't like what you see, look around behind the tree!"

      So Kitty peered around, and sure enough, almost hidden by the strands of tinsel, there stood a bookcase.

      "I'll choose that!" she cried, in glee, and Mr. Maynard and Santa Claus pulled it out into view. It was the adjustable kind, with glass fronts, and Kitty had long desired just such a one for her room.

      "Isn't it beautiful!" she exclaimed, sitting down on the floor to examine it, and to imagine how it would look filled with story books.

      "Now, Sir Kingdon, approach," called out Santa Claus; "carefully scan the branches o'er, and help yourself from its ample store!"

      King came toward the tree, eying it carefully in search of something he wanted very much, yet scarcely dared hope for.

      But, half hidden by a paper fairy, he spied a gleam of gold, and pounced upon the dream of his heart, a gold watch!

      "This will do me!" he said, beaming with delight, at the fine time-piece, with its neat fob. It was a handsome affair for a boy of fourteen; but King was careful of his belongings, and Mr. Maynard had decided he could be trusted with it.

      Then the elder people received gifts from each other and from the children, and then everybody began to open bundles, and "thank you's" flew around like snowflakes, and tissue paper and gay ribbons were knee deep all over the floor.

      "I didn't know there were so many presents in the world!" said Marjorie, who sat blissfully on an ottoman, with her lap full of lovely things, and more on the floor beside her. Grandma had brought her an unset pearl. This was not a surprise, for Grandma had given her a pearl every Christmas of her life, and when the time came for her to wear them, they were to be made into a necklace.

      Uncle Steve had brought her a bureau set of ivory, with her monogram on the brushes, and the children gave her various trinkets.

      Then Stella and Molly had sent gifts to her, and Gladys and some of the other school girls had also sent Christmas remembrances, with the result that Midget was fairly bewildered at her possessions. The others too, had quantities of things, and Uncle Steve declared that he really had spilled his whole sack at this house, and he must rescue СКАЧАТЬ