OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS

OUR Christmas amidst the deep snow was a merry one. No gifts could be bought, for no one could get to town. But Mother was an ingenious soul. She made rag dolls for each of us girls. These dolls were a work of art, having real hair made from an old hair switch, and clothes made from odds and ends that only a mother could find. Their dresses were made from an old blue window blind. For my brother, Mother made a little wall pocket of a scrap of red felt, shaped like a fancy boot, and tucked down inside was a wonderful fifty cent piece. Revvie was delighted with his gift, but there was not a ghost of a place for him to spend his money! I had become a young lady of seven, just before Christmas, and I treasured that doll the most of any toy I ever had. She was my constant companion for years. I sewed for her and talked things over with her, and she and I took long walks over the hills and in the woods, when the weather Lame good. When her face became dirty, I simply covered it with a piece of clean white cloth.

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