Speaker 1: 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