The San Francisco call., 1910-12-18
by JESSIE NILES RuRNEss

SNiN, Ntii II lnlS way Ou KNOW
my birthday comes the day after
Christmas. All the rest have birth
days in the summer Mays is in May
OF course, and both the boys are in
September They always have birth
day parties. and lots of fun beforehand
planning and preparing, but mine
comes too soon after the Great Birth
day One time l spoke of this when
we were up here at the farm for vaca-
ton, and Aunt Bess said How would
1t do for us to have a party UP here
some day in July, if you like, and call
1T your birthday party?" and just then
Uncle Warren came along and we asked
him what he thought and he didn't say,
only began sort of chanting
On' what blessing 'twould "a been
If Santa had been born n twin
Wed had two Christmases year
ANA praps one bIudder'd settled here.
That gave us the idea of making
IL Christmas party. Uncle had
round the verse in an old magazine and
mad set 1t to music. SO we always
sing 1t at my party That was three
years ago, and we've had one each
year since, and you don't know what
fun it isl
And it is, mother. I'll lust begin
at the beginning and tell you all about
IL. You remember you thought the
country life this vacation would help
me 10 grow strong and well, and when
Aunt Bess asked me to come out with
bess and the children 1 didn't want
10 go, but you coaXed me- I was afraid
Ior she wasn't my really, truly Auntie
ana | never like to be away from YOU
put never had such a jolly time in
my lie, and l shall never be afraid
again. Lonesome? Why. from the
time they met US at the train until T
got pack home | don't believe there
mas been single minute hayn,t been
doing something l wanted TO do and
you couldn't get lonesome out there If
you tried. -
FOR two weeks before the party we
were busy as bees making gifts and
Pianhlhg surprises, just as we do for
ohrlstmas, and Uncle Warren would
say, mystery, mystery; who's got the
mystery but he was the worst ne tbe
Iot because we found out he had helped
bess plan nearly everything.
WHeh the day came and we had
ina. dinlng room ready I wish Won
could nave seen 1T. Bess set a small
eapie Ior the dolls. We used a big box
Tor platform to raise it as higb os
our own table Each doll had cbair
ana tnelr table had flowers and fayors
ana candles and baskets of fruit am
boxes OF candies, and in the center
Bess' birthday cake with IA candles
christmas wreaths and green's were
everywhere and the bows had found j
lot Of scarlet berries that grow on
vines close to the ground-kinnil,in
mic, Rolph said the Indians called it.
ana we used it like holly with the
cedar and spruce and fir.
another table in another corner held
the GIFTS Packages of all sorts and
Shapes ana sizes were on it, One of the
rules Is that each gift shall be the un-
aided work of each giver Auntie saws
theres plenty of time during vacation.
ana the worth of a gift is the love and
thought we weave into it. You Just wait
mother my love, till you see the won
der box have brought home. 1t will
make you proud of me- I'm proud of
myself There are candle shades made
OF real pressed flowers between waxed
paper and when the light shines
through they look like fresh blooms.
And there are two balsam pillows:
they take quite lot OF time and some
pillows of roseleaves-you know there
are such loads and loads of roses there,
always. Then there are quite lot of
the funniest hickory nut and clothes
pin dollies They are fascinating to
make, and soon as you get one done
you want to do another. The hickory
nut dolls we dressed in corn husks
perfectly gorgeous ratment of different
shades OF brown. / call one of them
my Creole queen. You will think
worked hard every minute when YOU
see what l have done, all my own self
but | didn't Aunt Bess says this life
is too short and too full OF pleasant
things to do ever to keep at one till
we are weary, and II seemed like she
made us stop each time at the place in
our work when we would be crazy TO
continue MaYDe that was what mada
us rush at II again so eagerly and
gladly when the chance came She
never said 'Stopr Instead she would
say, What little girl wants to go with
me, or Whose duty is itY And, Of
course, it was always something we
wanted to do. l had a horseback ride
nearly every single day and they taught
~. L. D -. l