The San Francisco call., 1910-11-20
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tooth of which she was extremely
proud. The most forlorn looking doll
in the show was Jennie Marsh's rag
doll Sarah who was the Oldest doll
present and had been handed down
through three generations Of little
Marshes.
Instead of having judges who would
decide who should have the first prize
it was planned that all those present
should vote on the prettiest doll and
that Aunt Lillian should count the
votes. The first prize would go to the
doll having the most votes and the
next prize to- the one having the next
highest vote, and
Every visitor to the show was there
fore given slip of paper and told to
write on it the number of the doll she
most admired. OF course many of the
visitors preferred their own doll to any
other-but not all. There We're some
visitors who selected the doll that they
thought looked the best, whether it
was their own or not Then there
were some mothers and sisters who
visited the show who had no dolls
there, and so there were enough dis
interested votes to decide the question
fairly.
At last the great moment came when
Aunt Lillian took the box containing
all the slips on which the numbers of
the dolls were written and began to
count them. Everybody gathered
around in breathless silence, all ex-
cept Lille de Lille, who was so sure
that her French beauty doll would win
that she thought it more polite to pre-
tend she was very much interested in
a general view of the exhibits
Presently Aunt Lillian paused. The
slips of paper were all arranged in
orderly piles on the table and the time
had come to make the announcement.
Aunt Lillian looked very pleased, and
a bit puzzled, too. She smiled at the
little exhibitors and said mysteriousIy:
Things have turned out very oddly. /
am very much surprised, and I think
you will be, too, but / am also very
much pleased, and / am sure you will
be also"
The exhibitors waited expectantly.
What could Aunt Lillian mean?
'The first prize" continued Aunt Lii
liam, in clear voice, goes to the
oldest doll in the show-No. (which
is Sarah, the big rag doll that belongs
to Mary Marsh"
Everybody looked perfectly aston
ished at this queer outcome of the
voting, and then suddenly there was a
burst of laughter. followed by pro-
longed applause.
Then such lot OF conversation! The
room rang with Ii. Every one was ex-
planning how poor old Sarah, the home
liest doll in the show, had happened to
win the first prize.
you see" said jamie Marks, II voted
for her because she looked so forIorn
that thought she wouldn't have an
other vote"
"And l thought the same" said Ma
tilda, "and l did. too" said Sallie Red
fern, "and l." and l." "and T." chorused
a host OF others.
Then everybody had another laugh
and they all danced around Aunt LII
liam while she fastened the long, beau
tiful pearl necklace over Sarah's plain
calico frock.
Then the other prizes were awarded.
The beautiful French doll got the sec
ond prize and everybody was satisfied
with the way the other awards were
distributed.
After 1T was all over the girls de-
clared that the show was the very best
fun they had ever had in their lives.
But the best OF il all was that Sarah
got the first prize" said Lille de Lille.
That was perfectly glorious" and
everybody agreed with her