DORA’S BIRTHDAY
The seventeenth of September was Dora’s birthday. On Thursday night she
went to bed expecting to feel quite different when she waked in the
morning and was nine instead of eight. But she didn’t. She felt just the
same.
The day was bright and sunny but cold. Lucy looked out to see whether
there had been a frost. So far as she could see, nothing was touched in
the garden. Even the nasturtiums, which get discouraged and turn black if
the thermometer casts a glance toward the freezing-point, were looking as
alert and cheerful as usual.
When the children were dressed, they ran down-stairs. Lucy went into the
kitchen to help Mother. Dora sat down in the parlor and tried to read.
The birthday girl never helped about breakfast. She didn’t even come near
the table till she was called.
Dora simply couldn’t read. She knew there was to be a surprise and she
wanted to think how pleasant it would be. Out in the kitchen she could
hear Lucy whispering to Mother and then came a rustle of paper as though
somebody was arranging soft packages.
“Breakfast is ready,” called Lucy at last. “All right for you to come,
Dora.”
Dora didn’t need to be called but once. Nobody does on a birthday morning.
She saw that her plate was covered with bundles, and then she had to hide
because Uncle Dan said that her nose must be buttered and that she should
have nine spanks, and one to grow on.
Dora had to dodge around the table till Mother told Uncle Dan to sit down
and behave properly. Uncle Dan put down the butter-knife and Dora let him
catch her and give her ten love pats and a big hug.
Then Father kissed her, and Mother said if they wasted any more time the
children would be late for school and Father and Uncle Dan would be late
for work.
Dora sat down at her place and picked up the first package. It was fat
and not a bit heavy. She opened it to find some yarn, soft, and of the
prettiest blue you can imagine. Dora didn’t know it, but it was the color
of her eyes.
“That is to make you a sweater,” said Mother. “I am going to knit one
like Mary Burton’s. You said you liked hers so much.”
Dora was delighted. She kissed Mother and looked very happy.
“My old sweater is growing so small,” she said. “Will you knit it soon,
Mother?”
“I will begin it this evening,” said Mrs. Merrill. “I want some work to
pick up after supper.”
“It is the color I like best,” said Dora, and she opened another package.
This was from Olive and it contained two new hair-ribbons. One was blue
and exactly matched the sweater yarn. The other was pink. Dora liked them
both.
The next package was small and heavy and Dora wondered what it could
be. It was a paint-box with paints of all the different colors that any
picture could possibly need. This was from Uncle Dan, and Dora went
straight and hugged him.
“How did you know I wanted a paint-box?” she asked. “I wanted it very
much and I didn’t expect to have one.”
“A little bird told me,” said Dan promptly.
“I guess it was an Olive-bird,” laughed Dora. “I don’t remember telling
anybody but Olive how much I wanted one.”
Lucy was eager for Dora to open her gift. Dora thought it was lovely. It
was a roll of colored papers and paper lace, for making hats and dresses
for paper dolls. Such a gift was most desirable for work on winter
evenings.
Now two packages were left, one of which had come through the mail. Dora
opened the other first. This was from Father and was a copy of “Alice in
Wonderland.”
Dora loved that story. She had borrowed it many times from the Public
Library and never expected to have a copy of her own. Father explained
that he had a chance to buy it through the printing-press and knew she
would like it.
“There is another part to my present,” he said. “Next week there is to
be a good film at the movies, ‘Anne of Green Gables.’ You and Lucy and
Mother are to see the afternoon performance.”
Lucy and Dora both had to hug Father now. It was not often that Mother
let them go to the movie theatre. She thought the pictures were not as
nice as books. It would be great fun to see “Anne,” and all the more fun
to know about it so long before.
Now there was one package left to open, but under it were two post-cards
and a letter. One card was from Mr. Thorne, the rector of the church
where the Merrills went and where Uncle Dan sang in the choir. The other
was from Miss Page, Dora’s Sunday school teacher. Both had remembered to
send a birthday greeting.
The letter and the package were from Miss Chandler. Dora took off the
outer wrapper of the package and found a candy-box, much like the one
her pincushion had gone traveling in. But no candy, unless made of
sea-foam, could be so light as that box. When she opened it, nothing
showed but tissue paper.
Very carefully, Dora pulled this out and in the middle, wrapped in bright
red paper so she could not fail to see it, was a small box, tied with
white ribbon. When she opened it Dora gave a gasp. She was so surprised
that she could not speak.
Inside the box was a little thing rolled in cotton, and when Dora’s
trembling fingers took it out, it was another charm for her to wear on
her silver chain.
This charm was a tiny kitten, about three-quarters of an inch high.
Unless it had upset a blueing bottle, no earthly kitten was ever that
color. This one was deep blue, and it didn’t seem to be made either of
glass or metal. Its pointed ears gave it a surprised look and its kitten
face wore a pleasant expression. About its neck was a silver collar with
a ring at the back to slip on a chain. About its feet its tail coiled
tight as though to keep its paws from scattering. Anybody could see that
it was an unusual kitten. Dora felt sure it must have a story.
“The letter is from Miss Chandler,” said Mother. “If you open it, Dora,
it may tell you where the little cat came from. I suppose it is something
she brought from Europe.”
The kitten had come from even farther than Europe! Dora read the letter
aloud.
“DEAR LITTLE DORA:
“Many happy returns of your birthday! I hope you may have the
nicest possible time. I am sorry Arcturus was so ungrateful as
to run away from his kind mistress, but you know bears are wild
at heart. I am sending you another pet in his place, one which
I hope will be willing to stay at home. This is a Chinese
kitten which came from the city of Hong Kong. If you drop it,
it will not break because it is made of stained ivory.
“Since you named your bear for a star, perhaps you may like
a star name for this kitten. Would you like to call it Vega?
That is the name of a brilliant star which in summer is almost
directly overhead. I am sure your uncle will help you find it.
It is a star which shines with a blue light, so its name is
suited to a blue kitten.”
Dora was delighted that the blue kitten should be named for a blue star.
She stopped to say so before finishing the letter.
“I wanted to spend our birthday together, but I have to teach
all day. So I made another plan which Mother will tell you.”
Dora at once turned to Mother. “I will tell you when you have eaten your
porridge,” said Mrs. Merrill. “Your breakfast is getting cold, Dora. Eat
your oatmeal and drink your milk.”
“No eat—no go,” said Uncle Dan.
“Dan, keep still,” said Mrs. Merrill. “Begin to eat, Dora.”
Dora was too happy to feel hungry, but she knew the oatmeal must go down
and that she must eat an egg and a slice of toast. When she had almost
finished, Mrs. Merrill told the plan.
“I had a letter, too, from Miss Chandler,” she said. “She has invited you
and Lucy to come into Boston to-morrow morning and stay with her until
Sunday afternoon.”
“Mother! May we?” exclaimed Lucy and Dora in one breath.
“I never went to Boston but twice in my life,” said Lucy.
“I never visited anybody over night,” said Dora and then they both said,
“Mother, _do_ let us!”
“Father and I are willing you should go,” replied Mrs. Merrill. “Miss
Chandler sent a dollar to pay for your tickets, and Father will put you
on the eight o’clock train and Miss Chandler will meet you in the North
Station.”
“I didn’t know Aunt Margaret kept house,” said Lucy.
“It isn’t a real house,” said Mrs. Merrill, “that is, not like this one.
She has some rooms in a big building.”
“Mother!” said Dora, “oh, Mother, may I take Aunt Margaret a piece of my
birthday cake?”
“How do you know there will be a birthday cake?” asked Mrs. Merrill.
“Because there always is,” said Dora.