The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-18

Why is that so?" asked the wax beauty.
 "Too many for the market" explained doll No. g. "Old Santa always makes thousands of us for emergency. Ills sup ply is always greater than the demand.
 But their conversation was cut snort by Santa Claus bustling in with another assistant. who was filling an order. They came and looked over the row Of big WAX dolls their eyes resting on the wax beauty and doll No. 2
 Let me read your order again." said Santa, taking a sheet of notepaper from the assistants hand. The assistant, whose name was Icicle, handed the let ter to Santa, who read aloud in his cheery tone "Send a wax doll, latest style of make, fashionably dressed. to Helen Fox, nine years old Helen is sick, peevish child and quickly destroys her toys, becoming tired of them in short time, so please fix the doll as prettily as possible that It may please her for a while"
 Well Helen, you shall have this pretty blond-curled lady" said Santa Claus, taking up the wax beauty in his hands and turning her down to see If her eyes shut correctly. T suppose you'll last about day." old Santa con- tinued, addressing the wax beauty in his hands. Tt is, indeed, a pity that so many of our little friends will abuse and break up their toys so; but we make you for sick, fretful little ones more than for well, happy children, so 1t must be expected that you may fall into the hands of a young despoiler. Here" turning to the assistant. tag this wax beauty for Helen"
 Thus, once again the wax beauty was tagged and left for the dressmaker and Santa, followed by Icicle hurried to an other toy room to attend to the filling of other orders.
 "Oh. oh. just think of itl am doomed to live only a short time. and that time is to be spent with sick, fretful child who will abuse mev' And as the poor wax beauty said this her voice was im- patient and full of disappointment.
 Better fate like that than to be left on the shelf,n suggested doll No. 2. I'd rather be sent to sick child than to lie in cold storage, as 1t were, till next year"
 Let us exchange placesr cried the wax beauty, eager to again eXtricate herself from future unpleasantness 1T possible. T am sure no worse fate could befail me than to go to the home of a poor child, or to that of one who is fretful and sick
 All right" agreed wax doll No. 2, T agree to wear your tag. Pass it over to me before a dressmaxer gets round here. Then it would be too late"
 With willing fingers wax beauty un- did the pasteboard tag and ~assed it to doll No. 2 who quickly tied it round her own neck In few minutes in came another dressmaker to get an order to fill. The tag on doll No 2 caught her eyes, and she took her up reading aloud the instruction; Dress beautifully to please Helen Fox, little sick girl. Put doll in a baby carriage and add anything else necessary to make the child happy, Send to street. New York city"
 "oh. oh!" said the little dressmaker; 'so you are for Helen Fox! Well, I am acquainted with that little girls history and know that she has the name of be- ing peevish and destructive, but the fault has not been hers, for all the toys that have been given her were ugly and not well put up, simply because the word came that she soon grew tired oi them and tore them to pieces. Now, shall make you>the loveliest doll to look upon, and put you in a wicker cab witt a silk cushion behind your head. She'l be so delighted to have you that shel take the best of care of you, my pretty wax doll" So saying, the dressmakel carried the doll No. ? to the dressmakinl shop. leaving wax beauty in a very un happy frame of mind
 "Oh, oh!" she walled turning to 2 plain, staring-eyed china doll, T have thrown away two fine offers. Two pleas ant places have been offered to me, an( I've thrown them over to others. But Il another one comes I shall not be so fool ish."
 But it was her fate to be put back 1T a close-lidded box which was labeled Left Over," and set In dark, cold room where she would have to sleep till the coming of another Christmas.
 And how different was the lot of dol No. 3, who was sent Christmas Eve to the home of little Myrtle Brown. Wher Myrtle beheld the pink silk-gownec beauty in white sash and picture hat she went into an ecstacy of delight, and as the months rolled round she loved hei dolly better and better caring for hel as tenderly as a good mother can care for her beloved child.
 And the fate of doll No. was far from what might have been expected for she was so lovely that Helen Fox the little sick girl, opened her heart to her new companion, and never once threw her op the floor or tore her clothes And as the days wore on Helen grew strong and well, walking out every day with the doll in its cab, saying to her friends: q must let my dolly have plenty of fresh air and sunshine to keer her well' So, in ministering to her deaI dolly's welfare she improved her own health, and as she became well and strong she grew sweet-tempered, and loved her doll with a tender, true af- lection.