Her Birthday Dream Part 1
Story posted by Chris Cade | Short Christmas Stories on Nov 18, 2008 in Children's Christmas Stories (If known, the original author is listed below)
Marcia Brownlow came out of the church, and walked rapidly down the street. She seemed perturbed; her gray eyes flashed, and on her cheeks glowed two red spots. She was glad she was not going home, so she wouldn’t have to take a car, but could walk the short distance to Aunt Sophy’s, where she had been invited to dine and visit with her special chum, Cousin Jack—who was home from college for the short Thanksgiving vacation. She slowed up as she reached her destination, and waited a little before going in;she wanted to get calmed down a bit, for she didn’t want her friend to see her when she felt so “riled up.” Back of it was a secret reluctance to meet Jack;he was so different since the Gipsy Smith revival; of course, he was perfectly lovely, and unchanged toward her, but; somehow, she felt uncomfortable in his presence ;and she didn’t enjoy having her self-satisfaction disturbed.
As she entered the dining-room, she was greeted with exclamations of surprise and pleasure.
“Why, Marcia!” said Aunt Sophia; “we had given you up! I almost never knew of your being late in keeping an appointment.”
“You must excuse me, Auntie; and lay this offense to the charge of our Sunday school superintendent,”
answered Marcia.
“I suppose Mr. Robinson is laying his plans for Christmas,” remarked Uncle John. “He believes in taking time by the forelock;and a very commendable habit it is, too.” “Yes,” answered Marcia laconically.
Jack glanced at her keenly. “Is there anything new in the Christmas line?” he asked. The gray eyes grew black, and the red spots burned again, as Marcia replied: “Well, I should think so; he proposes to turn things topsy-turvy!”
“My! What does he want to do?” inquired Cousin Augusta.
“Oh, he calls it the ‘White Gift Christmas’; but the long and short of the matter is, that he proposes to ‘turn down’ Santa Claus, and all the old time-honored customs connected with Christmas that are so dear to the hearts of the children, and have the school do the giving. He has a big banner hung up in the Sunday school room bearing the words, ‘Gifts for the Christ-Child’.”
“An excellent idea,” exclaimed Uncle John, “but I don’t see much of an innovation about that; you have always made the children’s giving a part of your Christmas celebration, have you not?”
“Certainly!” rejoined Marcia. “They have always brought their little gifts for the poor, and that is all right; but this time there are no gifts to the Sunday school at all.”
“Not even to the Primary School?” asked Augusta.
“Well,” admitted Marcia, “Mr. Robinson gave the children their choice today, whether they would have the old Christmas or the ‘White Gift Christmas,’ and they all voted for the new idea.”
“Why then should the children be obliged to have gifts, if they don’t want them?” laughed Augusta.
“Oh, children are always taken with novelty, and Mr. Robinson told it to them in such a way that fancy was captivated; but I don’t think they really understood what they were giving up.”
“Marcia, it seems to me that your are emphasizing the wrong side of the subject if I understand it aright,” said Jack.
“Why, do you know about it?” asked Marcia, in surprise.
“Not much,” replied Jack; “but I read the White Gift story in the ‘Sunday School Times,’ and the report of the Painesville experiment.”
“Well, Jack, tell us what you know about this mysterious ‘White Gift’,” commanded his father.
“I would rather Marcia should tell it, father; I know so little.”
Also Read Her Birthday Dream [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
- By Nellie C. King
