The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-12-25
The Egis & elligencer
Bel Air, Md, December 20, 1891.
YAsY,s CHRISTMAS GIFTS.

pA5Y'S CHRISTMAS GIFTS.
Little NIargarita Had Her Own Views
About Making Presents.
We were talking over Christmas gifts
at luncheon, when Margarita said:
"Want to buy Kis'mas p'esents too!
Want to buy Kis'mas p'esents tool"
At once Uncle Jim exclaimed:
$50 Margarita shall buy Christmas
presents!"
Upon which Margarita rewarded him
with smile enchanting enough to have
made far poorer man than Uncle Jim
do exactly what Uncle Jim did. He
pulled big roll of bank bills from his
pocket and put them in the little ones
tiny hand.
''That is all nonsense. Jim! Don't you
do itr' said papa.
''She will bankrupt you in an hour"
said Inez
81 wouldn't, JIM" said mamma gen
tly. ''She knows no more about the
worth of money than any other little
year-old girl, if she is my baby and
your niece"
"You were two and half years old
last month, weren't you, pet!" cried her
uncle, catching her in his arms. And
YOU shall buy some Christmas presents
if you want to. We don't care what
they say. We will show them that Mar
garita has as much wisdom as some older
people in selecting gifts. We know,
don't we, pet:'
And of course Margarita said yes.
So it came about that as the Others
were engaged 1 accompanied Margarita
that afternoon ON her first round of
Christmas shopping. had my strict in
functions from Uncle Jim not to urge
any purchase upon the child, but to al
low her to have her own choice in every
thing, provided prices did not exceed a
certain sum.
When Margarita's nurse brought her
down to the carriage she did look sweet
and wise enough to almost win me over
to Uncle Jim's opinion.
Thinking that books would please the
little one as much as anything, we drove
to book store and made our way from
counter to counter. At first nothing
the gay crowds of people. Finally, she
looked up from pictnre book, in reply
to my question, "What do you want to
buy for Maurice?" she said, "Want to
buy tandy Elephant"
At the confectioner's there was a
grand array of sugar animals, and Mar
garita seized upon a white elephant, and
was perfectly satisfied.
"Will the little lady have anything
else?" asked the saleswoman politely.
'sDo you want to buy anything here
for Inez or Uncle Jim or nurse" asked.
But the yellow curls shook decidedly
as she answered.:
Muffin now"
Our next stop was at large fancy
goods store, and thought that here the
little girl would certainly see something
to strike her fancy. But the beautiful
things were passed unheeded. At last
she said:
"Want to buy mamma tandy titten!
AS Tony, the coachman, said that
there was confectioner's near by. we
drove there instead of to the place where
we bought the elephant.
A saleswoman informed me that l
would find the animals at the lower end
of the store, whereupon Margarita said:
'Don't want to buy animals! Want
to buy tandy tittenr'
Of course everybody within hearing
laughed, and hurried Margarita along
toward the counter where kittens were
kept.
The purchase made, other stores were
visited, but all to no purpose. Five
times we returned to one or the other of
the two large candy stores for ''tandy
wabbit' for nurse, ''tandy piggy" for
Inez, a ''tandy but,fy" for Mamie, a
"tandy mousey' for papa, and, TO cap
all, which was, like the others, her own
choice, "tandy monkey" for Uncle
Jim.
"Aren't you going to buy me any
thing?' I asked.
NO" said Margarita, rather YEARLY,
ST loves 'ou!" as if love were enough, and
I felt that it was.
Contrary to my expectations, the lit
tie one was silent in regard to her shop
ping, and even Uncle Jim asked no
questions.
On Christmas eve l went to the drawer
where had put the gifts that Margarita
had bought, but not a package was there.
felt almost certain that Margarita had
not touched them, for she was not amed-
dlesome child. But if she had not been
asleep would have questioned her. AS
it was searched everywhere, but could
find no trace of them.
The next morning asked Margarita
about it.
She looked up innocently and said,
with the sweetest smile in the world,
ooh, I Gated up thum all!"-Toronto
Empire.