elt so queer
that I couldn't move. My feet wouldn't walk---just like in a dream.
My mother said, 'Come here, my precious little girl,' but it sounded
as if it came from way, way, way off. And Maida _then_ I could move.
I ran across the room and hugged her and kissed her until I couldn't
breathe. Then she said, 'I have a beautiful Christmas gift for you,
little daughter,' and she pulled something over towards me that lay,
all wrapped up, in a shawl on the bed. What do you think it was?"

"I don't know. Oh, tell me, Rosie!"

"Guess," Rosie insisted, her eyes dancing.

"Rosie, if you don't tell me this minute, I'll pinch you."

"It was a baby--a little baby brother."

"A baby! Oh, Rosie!"

The two little girls hopped about the room in another mad dance.

"Maida, he's the darlingest baby that ever was in the whole wide
world! His name is Edward. He's only six weeks old and _he can
smile_."

"Smile, Rosie?"

"He can--I saw him--and sneeze!"

"Sneeze, Rosie?"

"That's not all," said Rosie proudly. "He can wink his eyes and
double up his fists--and--and--and a whole lot of things. There's no
doubt that he's a remarkable baby. My mother says so. And pretty
as--oh, he's prettier than any puppy I ever saw. He's a little too
pink in the face and he hasn't much hair yet--there's a funny spot in
the top of his head that goes up and down all the time that you have
to be dreadfully careful about. But he certainly is the loveliest
baby I ever saw. What do you think my mother let me do?"

"Oh, what?"

"She let me rock him for a moment. And I asked her if you could rock
him some day and she said you could."

"Oh! oh!"

"And what else do you think she's going to let me do?"

"I can't guess. Oh, tell me quick, Rosie."

"She says she's going to let me give him his bath Saturdays and
Sundays and wheel him out every day in his carriage."

"Rosie," Maida said impressively, "you ought to be the happiest
little girl in the world. Think of having a baby brother for a
Christmas present. You will let me wheel him sometimes, won't you?"

"Of course I will. I shall divide him exactly in half with you."

"Where has your mother been all this time?" Maida asked.

"Oh, she's been dreadfully sick in a hospital. She was sick after
the baby came to her--so sick that she couldn't even take care of
him. She said they were afraid she was going to die. But she's all
right now. Father bought her for Christmas a beautiful, long,
red-s