24. Make-Believe

bed at an unreasonably early hour. Asa
matter of fact, she always is; but, knowing
her parents have the best intentions in the
world, she usually goes quietly, after
having made a merely formal protest. She
did so on the occasion in question, but,
having got into bed, found it more than
usually difficult to get to sleep, since she
was greatly troubled with many grave
cares. Of course, you do, generally
speaking, get pretty well what you want
(if you have duly announced your wants)
at Christmas-time. But it is not always
so, and the things that Doris desired
were so beautiful, and she desired them so
much, that she was more than a little
afraid she would never get them. Some,
at least, she thought, would surely be
missing: and her need of each was so
great that she felt certain the absence of
a single one would be a disappointment
making imperfect her pleasure in the rest.

There had been carol-singing in the
village ever since the dark evenings began,