And at last, with some help and suggestions from Mother, the Surprise Book was done! It was a big three-cornered book that seemed quite bulky. As Dot held it, she felt that Marjorie would surely like it and she couldn’t bear to keep it till Christmas. Christmas was so far away yet! There were four more days till Christmas Eve! But, nevertheless, because the Surprise Book was to be a Christmas present, Mother and Dot did it up, finally, in nice, fresh, white tissue paper and tied the parcel together with bright red ribbon. It was a splendid present!
When Christmas came, the Surprise Book was placed under the tree and Dotty left all her own presents while she urged Marjorie to open the big package that was tied with red ribbons. “You’ll like it,” she laughed. “I made it for you. It’s a book of surprises that last all through the year—it really is a Surprise Book because there’s so much fun in it!”
Then Marjorie tore off the paper and red ribbon. When she saw and understood jail about it, she said she would make Dotty a promise and the promise was that every time there fell due a story, she’d read it aloud to Dotty each month.
So, here in this book are the stories that Marjorie read to Dotty, the stories that were in Marjorie’s Surprise Book, together with the penwiper, the Valentine, the St. Patrick’s favor for March, the April Fool, the paper May-basket, the four-leaf clover for June. Beside these, there were a great many other nice things that came in the pockets that were not filled with the stories. You shall hear about them all yourself, as you turn the pages here.
The Telephone Santa Claus
THE DECEMBER SURPRISE
Of course, you know as well as Dotty that there was a penwiper in the first Christmas pocket. The writing on that pocket said,
“Not to be opened till after you have seen all your presents from the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.”
Marjorie liked the penwiper ever so much. She said it could be used at school. It was made of round red circles of cloth and had a button sewed at its centre. The story pocket was quite bulky and it said,
“Open on Christmas Eve for a bed-time story.”
Marjorie read it aloud as she and Dot curled up in a big cosy comfortable at bed-time. They had to have a very special dispensation from Mother. She said that the Surprise Book story that came on Christmas Eve might keep the bed-time light lit till it was finished. So Marjorie read aloud, “The Telephone Santa Claus.”
II The Telephone Santa Claus
The shops were full of Christmas toys. There were Christmas greens and fir trees everywhere. Big ribbon-trimmed holly wreaths began to appear in front windows and everybody in the streets carried Christmas bundles. At this time, too, Mary Louise, who lived in the large and beautiful house with mother and daddy, and who was the only little girl they had, began to plan what she should ask Santa Claus to bring her.
Can anybody ever have too many toys? Mary Louise had a whole toy closet full. There were certain “very best toys” put by nurse on the top shelf for special occasions and there were countless “every day toys,” some of them a bit broken, but a great many of them quite whole and splendid, ever so much nicer than the toys that Mary Louise’s little friends had to play with. Still, Mary Louise wanted more toys. The list that she was now writing in her round, wiggly handwriting had already covered several sheets of large pad paper that nurse had given her.
Mary Louise sat at the big flat desk in the library. Her velvet dress was almost lost in the big arm-chair that was daddy’s favorite. Behind her was a cheerful fire on the hearth and it snapped and crackled joyously. Mary Louise’s blue eyes travelled about the room as if seeking fresh inspiration in the objects that they rested upon. She already had everything, but she wanted more, and so she put the pencil on the paper and continued the letter to Santa Claus.
“I want two new Teddy bears, the biggest you have, Santa Claus,” the pencil said. “I want one that is pure white like snow and another that is furry and brown. Both should have a squeak and if you have any that will growl, I’d like that kind, too.
“I want a white doll carriage lined with pink satin. They have them at Bunty’s Department Store, for I saw them once and they cost twenty-five dollars. I want a big doll to go in it. I want a whole wardrobe of clothes for it, a new doll cradle, and it must have a pink silk dress, too. I want a doll that will open and shut its eyes—one with real hair. It must talk, too.
“You can bring me, beside this, a boy doll with a sled and all the different kinds of clothes that a little boy ought to wear. I want a real toy automobile with a horn and a lamp—not the kind that is like a tricycle, because I already have one like that—I mean the real kind that runs with gasoline. They cost a hundred and twenty-five dollars, maybe a little more, but I don’t think you mind what they cost.
“I want a doll house that is nicer than the one you gave me before. It ought to be big enough for me to go into myself and I would like to have it built up in the garden like a real house. You can put it down by the greenhouses because it will be too big to bring into our house or carry down the chimney, I know. And then too I want—”
Mary Louise’s blue eyes considered the ceiling for a space of time: “I want a ring like mother’s—one with a blue stone in it,” she added. While she was trying to think of something else to ask for, the door of the library opened and in walked Mary Louise’s big daddy. He glanced for a minute at Mary Louise and he took up the telephone.
Mary Louise’s daddy was busy there several minutes. He watched Mary Louise nibbling the end of her pencil and he looked over her shoulder at the letter. As he did so, a smile crossed his face. “Writing to Santa Claus, Mary Louise?” he asked when he put down the receiver.
“I was wondering what to ask for next,” Mary Louise informed him. “I think I’ll ask for another pony. Nibbles is very nice, of course, but I’d rather like one that will trot faster. I think I’d like a white pony with a white kid harness and a white basket-cart.”
“You’re asking for a great many things, aren’t you?” daddy suggested. “Maybe it might be well to close the letter now. I’ll take it with me and mail it on the way down town—better address the envelope.”
“I might think of something more,” remonstrated Mary Louise. But she folded the six sheets of pad paper and put them into the envelope that daddy held out. Then she addressed it to Mr. Santa Claus, Santa Claus Land, Santa Claus Country, North Pole, exactly as nurse had told her.
Daddy put it into his overcoat pocket as Mary Louise had seen him put letters that he posted for mother. Then as the library door closed, she plumped herself down upon the thick black fur rug in front of the fire to look at a picture book.
She had not been there very long when the telephone bell rang. James didn’t come as he ought and Marie was upstairs, so Mary Louise incommoded herself by getting up from the rug to answer it. It had already rung three times and she was quite ready to scold Marie for not answering it. But she did not have the chance as Marie still did not come. So Mary Louise took up the receiver. “Hello!” she called.
“Hello,” came a cheery answer.
“What is it?” inquired Mary Louise.
“I want to talk to Miss Mary Louise Snow,” came the answer. “I’m Santa Claus.”
“Oh, I’m her!” gasped Mary Louise. “I’m—I’m her!” Never before had Santa Claus called Mary Louise up by telephone! Never had she spoken to him except for a few brief minutes at a Christmas party celebration.
“You are,” returned the voice. “Well, I’m glad you are at home, Mary Louise. There’s something very special that I want to talk about. It’s almost time for me