LITTLE FRIEND LYDIA.

by Ethel Calvert Phillips.

CHAPTER I-Christmas Eve

It was Christmas Eve, and twenty little boys and girls were watching for Santa Claus. Ten little boys in blue-striped blouses and dark-blue neckties, ten little girls in blue-checked ap.r.o.ns and dark-blue hair-ribbons fixed their eyes on the big folding doors and thought the time for them to open would never come.

All day long excitement had reigned supreme in the Children's Home, a roomy comfortable house set on the very edge of the big city, and where were gathered the motherless and fatherless children who found love and care under its hospitable roof. Each ring of the doorbell brought chattering groups to hang over the banisters, each sound of wheels on the driveway was the signal for excited faces to be pressed against the window-pane and for round eyes to try in vain to bore through the paper wrappings of mysterious bundles whisked out of sight all too soon. Peeks through the parlor keyhole were forbidden, but pa.s.sing the door on the way to luncheon several children were seen to stop and sniff the air as though they might actually smell out the secret.

"Nurse Norrie called it an 'entertainment,'" said big Mary Ellen to a group gathered round her in the playroom. "I do wonder what 't will be.

It will be to-night anyway; she said so."

"It's cowboys and Indians, that's what it is," declared Sammy, an agile youth who all morning had somehow managed to look out of the window and over the banisters at the same time when occasion demanded. "It's going to be a Wild West show to-night, I think." And Sammy galloped up and down the playroom in imitation of the dashing broncos he hoped to see that night.

"Do you think Miss Martin would have horses in the parlor?" asked Mary Ellen scornfully. "I hope it will be tableaux." And Mary Ellen immediately pictured herself the most beautiful tableau of them all, attired as a Red Cross nurse draped in the American flag, with a n.o.ble expression on her face, and perhaps supporting a wounded soldier or two.

Little Tom took his finger out of his mouth long enough to say, "I hope it's candy"; and at this pleasing thought Luley and Lena, the fat little twins, clapped their hands in agreement. Polly, always a little behindhand, hadn't made up her mind yet what the surprise was to be. So Mary Ellen turned to Lydia, a quiet little girl whose brown eyes looked out shyly upon the world from under a thatch of yellow curls. Now Lydia remembered clearly her Christmas a year ago, so although she felt a little shy about speaking out before them all, she was sure she had guessed the secret.

"I think it's Santa Claus," said Lydia timidly, "and maybe a Christmas Tree too."

Miss Martin, who took good care of these little children and loved them every one, stood in the doorway listening and laughing.

"I'll give you just one hint," said she, "if you promise not to ask me another question. Lydia is the warmest. Sammy is freezing cold, so is Mary Ellen. Tom is warm, too, but Lydia is hot, red-hot I should say."

And then Miss Martin closed the door and fled. In the hall she met fat Nurse Norrie carrying a pile of clean blouses.

"Hark ye to the noise in there," said Nurse Norrie with a chuckle. "I'm thinking if we live through this day we'll live through anything."

But at last evening came and they were all gathered in the back room with only a few moments more to wait. Patient Miss Martin took pity on them and answered the same questions over and over as she moved about the room straightening twisted neckties and perking up fallen hair-ribbons.

"Yes, I'm sure Santa Claus is coming," said Miss Martin for the tenth time to Luley and Lena, who hand in hand trotted up with the question every few minutes as if asking something new each time. "Why am I sure, Polly? Because he comes every year to the Children's Home. He has never forgotten us yet."

"Maybe he's stuck in the snow," said Sammy gloomily; "it's deep, deep.

Maybe he's having a fight with the Indians."

At this thought Sammy brightened, but Luley and Lena put out their under lips in such pitiful fashion that Miss Martin was glad to hear Mary Ellen say st.u.r.dily:

"I don't believe there ever was a snowdrift or an Indian either that could keep Santa Claus away."

"Good, Mary Ellen," said Miss Martin with an approving smile; "I'm sure you are right. Take your finger out of your mouth, Tom. Yes, Lydia, what is it?"

Lydia stood on tiptoe and spoke softly. She didn't want any one else to hear her question.

"Miss Martin," whispered she, "will Santa Claus bring you whatever you ask for-even if it won't go into your stocking?"

"Of course he will," answered Miss Martin with an arm about Lydia.

"Think of our big swing he brought last year. That wouldn't go in a giant's stocking. Think of the big-What's that sound, children?"

Every one listened. Nearer and nearer and nearer came the jingle of sleigh-bells, little by little the folding doors slid open, and there before their very eyes Santa Claus himself came into the room. Sammy said afterward he knew he saw him come down the chimney and step out of the fireplace, and this in spite of Mary Ellen who declared she saw him come walking through the door. But however he came, there he was, covered with snow and with a big pack on his back fairly bursting with toys. Dolls and drums and horns, jack-in-the-boxes, toy lambs, furry dogs, soft white rabbits stuck out in every direction. Luley and Lena fixed their round eyes upon two white cats peeping slyly side by side over the edge of the pack, and oh, how they hoped that Santa Claus would know that they wanted those p.u.s.s.ies more than anything in the world.

Santa Claus stationed himself beside the big glittering Christmas Tree gay with its colored horns, shining b.a.l.l.s, red and white cranberry and popcorn chains.

"Here I am, children, at last," said he, with an engaging smile all round. "A little late, but it's not my fault. You must blame my reindeer for that. Dancer and Prancer were in such a hurry to get here that on a roof near by they didn't look where they were going, and Prancer stubbed his toe quite badly against the chimney. But here we are now, with a bagful of toys-something for every one."

Santa Claus looked for a moment into the blue eyes, the black eyes, the gray and the brown eyes all earnestly fixed on him.

"First of all," began Santa Claus with a merry nod, "here are twin p.u.s.s.ycats who are looking for two little girls just like these." And he stepped straight over to Luley and Lena and put the p.u.s.s.ies into their outstretched arms. How did he know that that was what they wanted?

Perhaps because they had been looking so longingly at them ever since he came into the room. But then how did he know that Mary Ellen wanted a paint-box and a Red Cross doll, and Sammy a Noah's Ark and a drum and a horn? It was really wonderful how Santa Claus could tell exactly what each one wanted. There was little Tom who longed to play with dolls, but who couldn't bear it when the big boys laughed and called him "a girl."

And what should Santa Claus give to him but a soldier boy in khaki uniform, carrying a shining bayonet. Surely no boy would be ashamed to play with that, and yet at night, with the bayonet under Tom's pillow, General Pershing, Jr., would cuddle as well as any baby doll.

Before long every one's arms were full. Even the grown-up visitors, enjoying the scene from a distant corner, were not forgotten, but held boxes of candy shaped like little doll houses. Polly carried a white rabbit and a big picture-book off into her special corner. Sammy, skillfully performing on horn and drum simultaneously, woke echoes in the attic. Toy trains ran merrily round and round. Fire engines dashed bravely in every direction. It seemed as if Santa Claus's pack must be empty. But no, there he stood holding a baby doll in long white dress and little white cap, a baby doll who stretched out her arms as if asking some one to come and hold her, please.

"Here's a baby looking for a mother," called out Santa Claus. "Perhaps she will tell me her mother's name." And Santa Claus held the baby up to his ear.

"She says she wants Lydia," announced Santa Claus. "Where's Lydia?"

"Yes, where is Lydia?" asked Miss Martin, looking about. "I haven't seen her for a long time."

At this one of the visitors came forward, a visitor all the children knew, for she came often to see them. It was Mrs. Morris, a little old Quaker lady, who always wore a gray silk dress, a snow-white kerchief, and sometimes a little white cap. The children called her "Friend Morris" after a fashion she loved, and well might they call her so, for she gave generously of time and thought and money for their happiness and welfare. Friend Morris stepped to an open door and peeped behind it.

"Here is little Friend Lydia," said she. "Come out, Lydia. Surely thee is not afraid of the good Santa Claus." And she took Lydia gently by the hand and drew her out of her corner.

Lydia shook her head.

"No, Friend Morris," said she, "I'm not afraid of Santa Claus. But I want him to give away all his toys, and then I will ask him for my present."

"But see what Santa Claus has for thee, Friend Lydia," said Mrs. Morris, leading her to where Santa Claus stood watching them with a smile on his lips. "A beautiful baby doll. Surely that is the present thee wants."

"No, I want to whisper it in his ear," persisted Lydia.

She raised her brown eyes to Santa Claus, who looked down at her a moment in silence and then lifted her in his arms.

"What is it, Lydia?" he said softly. "Tell me."

"I want," whispered Lydia with her arm about Santa Claus's neck, "I want a father and a mother, a real father and mother of my own. Miss Martin said you could give a present that wouldn't go in a stocking. And I will give you back the baby doll."

Santa Claus thought for a moment, and then he tightened his hold upon the little girl looking so anxiously into his face.

"Now, Lydia," said he, "I'll tell you just how it is. I don't carry that kind of a present around in my bag with me, but I'll try to get it for you if you are willing to wait a little while for it. You keep the baby doll. Take good care of her, and I'll go to work and see what I can do for you. How will that be?"

Santa Claus had merry blue eyes, and now he looked straight at Lydia as if he meant what he said.

"You won't forget?" asked Lydia.

"I won't forget," said Santa Claus. "I promise."

He put Lydia on the ground with a parting pat on her head.