The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-12-24
HOW DOLLIE SPOILED HER CHRISTMAS

kitten in her arms.
"To-m0rrow night, Pussy" said she.
II am going to hang up my stocking
right close by the Sitting-rOOm CRATE,
and old kriss Kringle will fill it up full
of beautiful presents. He isn't a reai
hriss kringle, you know-it's only papa
and mamma-Sut | like to pretend it is
an old fellowin furS and Il sleigh and all.
Oh, dear, | wonder what I'll get, any
howl
Just then Dollie caught a glimpse of
her papa standing in the hall with his
arms filled with bundles, and she heard
her m say in a whisper: Put
them in the lower bureau drawer where
Dollie won't find them"
Here Dollic leaned forward and began
to feel a keen interest in the bundles
and packages she was not to 'sfind.n
SIN the lower bureau drawer" she
repeated to herself, "guess | ,riU find
en-
Then something whispered to her:
"But, Dollie, that would be a kind of
stealing to 90 fnd what mamm wishes
to hide from you"
"No t won't, NEITHER" answered
Dollie's self. "I'm just going rightup-
stairs to see, nOw," and letting Pussy
fall out of her arms in her haste, she
went upstairs softly, and saw through
the crack of the door her papa busily
opening parcel after parcel, and putting
their contents in the lower bureau
drawer.
Dollie waited until he had finished,
then she hid herself behind the door as
he passed her on his way downstairs.
Very softly crept little Dollie into her
mammals room then. Very cautiously
She opened the lower drawer, and her
eyes danced with delight oycr what she
saw there. beautiful Grande DuchcsSc
doll, in pink satin; q little silver tea
set, like mammals real one; a little blue
lOcket and gold chain; a scarlet fan
with a bird on it; a set of story books,
and great papers full of candies.
Dollie took M the doll and examined
it all over, opened the locket and saw
her mammals and papa'S picture, fan
ned herself with the fan, pccped into
the s~tory-hooks and ate several OF the
candies before she heard the tea-bell
ring and papa ask where his "Dollie
Dumpling' was.
Somehow supper didn't taste good to
Dollie; she was very quiet, too, and pa
pa wondered what was the matter with
his chatterbox. Mamma thought she
looked feverish, and asked if her head
ached. DOllie said: "No, she was only
but down in her heart SOME
THING was saying all the while: What
a wicked, naughty little girl YOU are to
have stolen a sight of the pretty pres
your papa and mamma meant to
surprise You within
Christmas morning came, and when
ran down stairs into the sitting
room where her two long, scarlet stock
ings hung up by the CRATE, her papa
and mamma thought she did not look
rs surprised and delighted over her +!
presents rs they expected she would. l
"What is it, Dollie? Are your pres
not what YOU wanted?:" asked |
/
"YeS-but-''
"But what? You don't. look happy I
md pleased over them" I
Then Dollie burst into tears, and be- i
ween Sohs and ~snifles confessed how l
he had spoiled her Christmas by antici- c
Eating its pleasures in stealing a look at 9
he happiness in store for her. Il I
it would be so nice to know +
very thing-and now | don't feel so t
lappy," sobbed Dollic. "
"Ah, Dollie," answered her mamma, II
even grown people are like YOU, some I
They want to look ahead and IL
what is to be, when, if they would 81
My wait and trust to the good Father, 81
very thing would be all right in good
me. If blessings are ahead, we will r.
njoy them in due time. If sorrow, we II
i'll feel it soon enough" II
Dollie thought her mamma was right, "
h determined that she would new -
: spoil another Christmas by peeping =:
the lower drawer to discover the ~
resents her papa and mamma would ~
to her in due time,-Arhur'S :,
'Gga@ine. "
-- al
An old negro living in Columbus, Ga, at