The Pink Egg.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 16, 22 April 1905, Page 48

The Pink Egg.

• By

Eleanor Spensley.)

“Miss Dorothy.” Nurse said. "I have put Baby to bed, and now you must come. Put dolly away at once, there’s a good child.” Dorothy got up, dolly stili in Iter arms. She was a big india-rubber doll, called Judy, and Dorothy had had her for two years, so, though her paint was ail washed off through being Imthed every morning with her mistress, and the top of her nose very fat and funny, she loved her very much. A doll that you can take out even when it looks as if it might rain and that can go to bed with you every night and won’t be a penny the worse. is much nicer than the smart wax lady in a silk frock, who is only brought out now and then, and of whom you must take great eare. because she shows the least little scratch ’or btunp directly. "To-morrow night,” Dorothy said with a big sigh, "I nrast let Judy sleep in the cupboard. I shall be seven to-morrow night.” "Oh. I don’t think you need put poor Judy away because of that.” Nurse said. "You’d be so lonely. I should keep her for another year, if I were you. Unless, perhaps. you get a doll to-morrow that vou like better.” she added.

Dorothy shod; her head. “I just love Judy,’* she said, “but nobody gives dolls to people who are seven. I wonder if I shall have a letter from Daddy?” "To be sure you will,” Nurse said, cheerfully. .Dorothy’s mother died when Baby was quite tiny and Dorothy remembered her very little, so her father was the dearest person in all the world to her, and she felt it very hard that he should be away in Germany for sueh a great event as her seventh birthday. She felt quite sure he would write to her; he never forgot things of that sort, and always kept promise*, too, which is a lovely thing in grown-up people, though some of them are so foolish that they do hot see how much it really matters. Another thing about him which Dorothy thought very wonderful was that he seemed to know, without being exactly told, what you were thinking of or wishing for; and he had often made Dorothy's day-dreams come true in the most surprising wav.» Therefore it was no wonder she missed him dreadfully and longed for his birthday letter: she knew he would write to her about all sorts of things which Nurse could not talk about —tilings whieh Dorothy eould never have explained to her if she had tried for a whole day. For instance, she was certain he would never send a big girl of seven another doll! She felt it was almost rude to him to think he eould be so stupid, but deep in her heart she said to herself:—

“Perhaps he will remember how bad I wanted a little locket; he knew I loved Auntie Meg’s more'n all her pretty things.” But she did not say this out loud, because it was a very secret sort of thought, and she was afraid Nurse might laugh at the idea of giving her such a grand present. Even if Daddy did not think it right for her to have it he would not laugh, anyhow. So she went to sleep and dreamed that he had come home, and was hanging a locket round Judy’s neck; and she was so glad to see him. she scarcely cared about the present at all! Nurse would not let her see anything that had come for her until she had had her breakfast, and she had to keep on telling herself that she was seven and must be ever sueh a good girl now, to stop the cross words that were ready to snap out. It would be such a pity to begin a birthday with a naughty temper—something like making a great ugly smear on the first page of a new picture book. And when breakfast was over at last there were so many things to see and parcels to untie and a big thin letter with a foreign stamp, which had to be opened first of all. But Daddy only wrote a very few words: he said he was coming home in another week, and then they would talk about all they, had both done, but now he was very, very busy, so he just wrote this little letter; his present was coming in a par-

eel by itself with a birthday kiss for his big girl. . < It had not come with the others; there were two books, a box of chocolates and a pieture.-and Baby and Nurse gave he a fern in a pot —no dolls, you see; but before dinner-time DorofTiy had settled that to go on loving your old dolls was not the same thing as getting new ones, and took Judy out for her walk as usual. When she came in. there was the pareel! It was a pretty big box, fastened up

most carefully; inside was a lot of wrap ing and then some soft paper, and then something in silver paper. Dorothy tore it off. and there, tied up with pale blue ribbon, was a big pink sugar egg. She felt as if she could scarcely bear it. She choked down the lump in her throat, winked away the tears, and went up to the nursery very quietly with that ter rible pink egg in her hand. She laid it on a chair, and she and Judy sat down together by the fire, with their backs turned to it. while Nurse got the tea.

But Baby, who was toddling about by himself, did not agree with Dorothy at all. He saw the smart pink thing with in reach and made for it. with funny little crows of delight. "Bitty, pitty!” he said, and put out his little fat hand to grab it. but it was sueh a little hand and such a big egg he droppeel it on the floor with a grea' smash. Dorothy jumped up. but she was too late, anil Baby was so sorry, that no one eould have scolded him. She began to pick up the pieces, and

then gave a cry. for there amongst them lay the loveliest little locket you inn imagine! The egg had l>een hollow, with room inside for a gift, but only for Baby *!>• might never have found it out. Sinhugged and kissed him. and then sinkissed her locket and put it on. the proudest and happiest little girl in England. "1 might have known Daddy would know." she told Judy when they went to lied together that night.