Ruth's Christmas by Abbe Philip's Walker one. There was just one thing that Ruth
wanted for Christmas, and that was a mother. Her father had smiled and
then had looked sad when she told him, Daddy, I want a mother
for a Christmas present. One just like the children in the next house have.
She tucks them in bed at night, and she tells them stories.
I can see her from my window. I hide behind the curtains after nurse
puts me to bed and watch, and sometimes when the windows are open,
I can see her telling them stories. Won't you, please, Daddy,
dear, give me a mother for a Christmas present? Mothers are not easy
to get, her father explained. But Daddy, you are rich and you
can buy anything. I heard Nurse tew COOKI were, said Ruth. Mothers
can't cost so much for lots of poor children have them. You'd try and
think of something else, said her father. I can't explain, But a
mother is something you cannot buy, can't you? Asked Ruth. Then,
how do children get mothers? Do they find them? Yes? I think
they do, said her father, glad to end the questioning. This,
however, did not end Ruth's thinking. Or wishing for a mother for her
Christmas present. And one day, when the nurse was busy talking with cook
in the kitchen, Ruth slipped out of the door to look for a mother.
A long long distance she walked, and by and by she came to
a house with flowers growing in little brown pots in the window. Ruth stopped
and opened the gate to the yard and walked in. She did not see
a button to push, and as that was the only kind she knew about,
made a bell ring, she did the next best thing. She turned
the knob of the door. The door swung open, and then some one
opened the door in the hall, and Ruth saw a sweet faced lady standing
there. She was not quite as young as Ruth had pictured the mother she
wanted should be, but still she liked her face. I haven't any mother,
I am looking for one, said Ruth. Between the bites and drinks.
Daddy said he couldn't buy me one. That children found their mothers.
The pretty lady laughed, and then she hugged Ruth closer to her. But
tell me where you live, dear. Your father will be worried. He
will think you are lost. She said, I live in a big house
very much bigger than this, said Ruth. But it is not so pretty
inside. We haven't any flowers growing in little bowls like yours. Can you
tell me a story? Yes, baby, I can tell you a story,
said the pretty lady. And I will if you will tell me your
daddy's name so we can find him. Oh, his name is just daddy,
said Ruth. But what do other people call him, asked the lady.
Nurse calls him sir, and so does James, said Ruth. Please
tell me a story. Are you anybody's mother, she asked, looking alarmed.
Oh, dear, no, laughed the pretty lady. Then it is
all right if you can tell a story, said Ruth. What is all
right, dear, asked the pretty lady. Why you are my Christmas present?
Said Ruth. You can be my mother, can't you. You don't
belong to anybody else. Ruth snuggled close, and the pretty lady began to
tell Once upon a Time, and soon Ruth was sound asleep in the pretty
lady's arms. When Ruth awoke, the pretty lady still held her, and,
for fear it all might be a dream, Ruth kept her eyes closed
and lay very still. The pretty lady was talking to her mother. Don't
you worry, mother, dear, She was saying, I'll find work somewhere.
I know some one must need me, or I would not be in
need of work. But you will not have any Christmas at all, my
dear, and I can't bear to think that I cannot give you a present
or cook your Christmas dinner, said the sweet faced lady. There is just
one way we can have a dinner. I have the pearl earrings, your
father's last gift to me, and I had always thought of you wearing them
on your wedding day. We will sell them and then we can have a
dinner and have some money left. It can't be done, mother, darling,
said the pretty lady, and Ruth felt her sob as she tried to
keep from crying. There are no stores open where we could sell them.
It is too late in the day. Now, don't you worry about me.
We will have the nicest dinner to morrow, you ever ate. I'll
make a salad of what we have, and we will have popcorn, and
I think we can have some fudge. But mother, we must find the
father of this baby. And how are we going about it? She does
not know where she lives. Ruth had opened her eyes now, for she
felt somehow her new friends were in trouble. Though, why so prettier lady
should want to find work, Ruth could not think. I'll show you where
I live, said Ruth. You pack your trunk and call for the car
and we will go home. Now I have found a mother. We will
take the trunk. Later, said the pretty lady, laughing, And I
am afraid, Ruth, dear, we will have to walk. You see,
I have no car. Just then Ruth looked out of the window.
Oh there is my daddy, she cried, running to the door. Daddy,
Daddy, she called, come in here. I have found a mother.
The pretty lady's cheeks grew pink and then red. Don't tell him about
that, she said to Ruth. We'll keep it a secret. Ruth's father
soon had her in his arms and was asking how she came to be so
far from home, And the pretty lady and her mother told him how Ruth
had come to the door, and that they could not find out who she
was or where she lived. And so miss Mary and I were going to
walk home when I saw you, said Ruth. And she is going to
bring her trunk after a while. Oh yes, I had to tell her
that to satisfy her, explained miss Mary. She wanted me to come to
live at her house. Daddy. They had no car, said Ruth.
And miss Mary wants to go to work. Miss Mary's face grew red again,
and this time the face of the mother flushed. It is true,
I do need work, said the pretty lady, but as yet I have
not found any one who wanted such work as I can do. Perhaps I
can help you, said Ruth's father. What sort of work can you do?
I thought of office work and bookkeeping. I wanted to teach, but
there is no opening at present, said miss Mary. Why not teach Ruth?
I shall have to look for some one next here anyway, and you
too could be getting acquainted before that time, said Ruth's father. But my
mother I could not leave her alone. I should I have to go home
at night, said miss Mary. Daddy. Miss Mary can tell stories just
like a mother, said Ruth. I wanted to tuck me in at night,
just like the mother in the next house does. They all laughed at
this, and Ruth's father said, I guess we can arrange that by taking
your mother along too. I need a housekeeper the very worst way. Before
Ruth and her father left that afternoon, it was arranged that miss Mary and
her mother should take Christmas dinner with them the next day. But before it
was time for them to come, a big box was left at the door,
and in it were two nice coats with fur collars, gifts from Ruth
to miss Mary and her mother. On the way home, Ruth had told
her father all she had heard when miss Mary and her mother were talking,
and about the shabby coat miss Mary had worn. Although it was hard work
for miss Mary to keep Ruth from talking about a mother by making Ruth think
it was their secret and that she must not tell. Her father heard only
of the secret that she and miss Mary had. But one day he asked
about this wonderful secret, and Ruth told him she wanted miss Mary for her
mother, that she had found her. He told her children found their mothers,
and why couldn't she have miss Mary for hers? Go ask her and
see what she says, said her father, And so Ruth did, and
her father came into the room just as she finished the question, what is
your answer? Asked Ruth's father. Miss Mary turned pink and then her cheeks
grew red, and Ruth said, you're my mother, aren't you. Miss
Mary. I found you and Daddy told me that was the way children got
them. Please miss Mary say yes, yes, please do Mary, said
Ruth's father, and Miss Mary said, well as you both urge me,
so I will say yes. And then Ruth's father kissed Miss Mary and Ruth
and Ruth kissed Miss Mary and they all lived happy ever after. End of
Ruth's Christmas by Abbe Philip's Walker