Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-21

low AS gold, and IA complexion like straw
berries and cream she had ear rings
IN her ears, and a very stylish dress on,
not to mention the whole Saratoga trunk
full of clothes that was IN the package with
her and, greatest wonder OF all, when
little Mary Jane pressed her to her heart
in a transport of JOY the waxen lips opened
and the doll said, Mamma ~
Little Mary Jane turned pale, aud ! am
not sure that Emeretta aud Nahum didn't
for not only had no talking doll ever open
ed its lips in Tukey's Cove before, but they
had never even heard that such a marvel
g listed Little Mary Jane, who believed
in fairies, and 50 found nothing very start
ling, except for the moment was the first
to recover herself.
"Of course Santa Claus or a good fairy
sent it to me- or else it wouldn't have call.
ed me mamma, " she declared
Being boy, Nahum Immediately upset
this theory 10y discovering the spring which
governed the dolls powers Of speech, and
making her say Papa or Mamma at
pleasure. But this discovery seemed to in
crease rather than diminish little Mary
James satisfaction, especially after she
found that she could do il herself
Meanwhile Emeretta was reading the
letter.
"Oh, mother oh. Nahum it is from
that lovely Miss Enderton who was board
ing at Fleetwell last summer and came
over to visit the factory. Don't you re
member that ! told you Mr. Barker let me
show her round And she asked me ques
tons, aud made me talk so much. that be
fore | knew it had told her all about US.
little Mary Jane and all, and about Luella
| Tukey, who was working next 10 me, and
her little lame sister Nancy. She seemed
interested in everybody who had trouble.
heard people say that she was very rich
and very odd She didn't say much her.
self, but she made me talk, and she wrote
my name down. | wondered why, but |
didn't suppose she would ever think of me
again
Nahum had drawn the box to his mothers
sofa, and she. with IA brighter look than she
had worn for many long day, was taking
out the gifts-a soft warm shawl and a
pretty hat a pair of blankets soft and
! thick that II warmed one Just o look at
| them pair of boys rubber boots, into
| which Nahum thrust his feet, and found,
with great satisfaction, that they were Just
fit some books and games and some
delicate fruits and jellies and great box
Of candy
is that all q said Emeretta, peering in
/ to the box and turning everything over and
| over
"4Hf' Surely it is enough My dear,
| you are not ungratful = said her mother,
| reprOachfully.
Emeretta look ed from her letter, which
she had read over and over, to little Mary
Jane, who sat in her small chair, with the
doll Rugged tightly in her arms, talking
and singing to it, and her face was troubled.
81 suppose its foolish but it seems as if
| little Mary James doll We're the best Of all. 50
said her mother, with tears Of joy running
| down her face.
Emeretta crushed her letter all into
| little ball, and thrust it into the depths Of
her pocket.
See she can do more than talk-she
can walk ~ cried Nahum, who had discOv-
cred another mechanical arrangement in
the doll lie set her upon her feet, and
with little swish of her pink silk train
she walked gracefully off halfway across
the room, while little Mary Jane was al
most hysterical with delight
Its better than medicine to the child,
said her mother.
Emeretta took the letter from her pocket
and tossed it into the very heart Of the
| fire she was afraid that her mother or
| Nahum might wish to read it. As IT bazed
| up she felt as if the words, which kept re
peating themselves in her ears, must show
! themselves in the flames The blue eyed /
doll is for Luella Turkey little lame sister. "
| If she had only read the letter before lit
tie Mary Jane had found the doll and
thought it hers How could she take it
away from her now She hoped she was
not ungrateful for all those useful presents,
but if there only had been doll for little
Mary Jane She remembered that Miss
Enderton had led her on to tell that the
/ r,,l tbay Tint
the reason why there were warm clothes
| for them and the beautiful doll was for
| Nancy Turkey. Poor little Mary Jane She
might have liked the games, although they
were somewhat too old for her, If she had
not seen the doll They discussed the nam
| ing of the doll and their mother favored
| Emily, because Emily Euderton was the
name signed to the letter, and little Mary
Jane wanted TO name her Goldiocks, after
| the princess in her book.
How merry they were-all but Emeretta.
! Their mother sat up on the sofa and made
Emeretta try on the pretty hat Nahum,
still wearing the rubber boots, lay flat on
| the floor, in boy fashion, and tried each of
the games with the gay cards spread
around him and little Mary Jane had ex
changed the dolls pink silk trained dress
| for a Paris night-gown all laces and rib
bons, and was singing her to sleep, which
was comfortable for her dollship, who
must have been hoarse and stiff after so
prolonged display of her accomplishments
4 knock at the door made Emeretta
start Nahum. who had looked out of the
window sand it was only Luela Tukey
Emeretta called to him as he was going TO
open the door, not to invite Lucia into the
sitting room it might make her feel bad
| ly to see all their beautiful presents, when
she never had any. But of course boy
wouldn't think of that, and Nahum didn't
hear, and iu came Luella, and went into
raptures over all the things She tried on
the pretty hat and shawl, and was not in
the least envious, for she was a very good
girl, and Emily Goldilocks was ruthlessly
aroused and made TO talk and walk until
Nahum said she would certainly get out of
order Luela wasn't envious, but she did
say, as she was going away "Oh, Elmer
eta, what ,rouidnt give if little Nancy
only had a doll like that | think it would
almost make her walk.
Emeretta was in such haste to get rid of
her that she almost shut the door in her
face, aud then she was cross 10 Nahum,
and when she tried to get supper ready she
poured the hot water into the tea-canister
and put the tea into the dried apple sauce.
And her heart was as heavy as lead, and
er come To Tukey's Cove.
'If Luella hadn't come, perhaps might
have carried the doll over to Nancy she
said 10 herself. Now of course | never
can
Her sleep that night was troubled, and
she had very bad dream in which Emily
Goldilucks changed into giantess, was
walking and walking over her, aud trying
to strangle her with her long hair, because
she had shut little Nancy Turkey up in the
Christmas box which Miss Enderton had
sent. She awoke from this dream with "A
great start
IL cant bear it / am thief, she said
to herself Il will try to take the doll
away from Mary Jane in her sleep, and
perhaps | can console her in some way in
the morning
But little Mary Jane chung TO the doll,
even in her sleep, with her small strength,
and frowned and moaned when Emeretta
tried to loosen her grasp. Moreover little
Mary Jane, who had bad habit of suck
ing her thumb had taken into her mouth
tonight instead of her own thumb, the
waxen hand of Emily Goldilocks and in
that warm retreat, 10 and behold the fin
gers of the hand had melted and run to
gether, and Emily Goldilock's once beauti-
full hand was but lump of wax
Little Mary Jane VIII ike her Just as
well but Of course couldn't carry her TO
/ Nancy now said Emeretta. "Oh what
SHAH do 4"
Early the next mornings early that
the Christmas stars were still twinkling-
, she was down in the cow-shed, where Ma
hum was milking Brown Betty, telling him
all about it, and asking him what she should
/ do.
4 Nahum was very good to her Emeretta
r will never forget how good he was He
1 did not even say, as she had expected he
would, II wouldn't have believed it of you,
A or "You see it is always better to do right
/ no matter how hard it is or who suffers,