The next morning Bessie was the first to wake. She knew by the light that it was very early, not time to get up. She looked at her sister, but Maggie showed no signs of waking.
"Oh, this is Maggie's birthday!" said the little girl to herself. "My dear Maggie! I wish she would wake up, so I could kiss her and wish her a happy birthday. 'Many happy yeturns,' that's what people say when other people have birthdays. I'll say it to Maggie when she wakes up. But now I'll go to sleep again for a little while."
Bessie turned over for another nap, when her eye was caught by something on the foot of the bed. She raised her head, then sat upright. No more thought of sleep for Bessie. She looked one moment, then laid her hand upon her sleeping sister.
"Maggie, dear Maggie, wake up! Just see what somebody brought here!"
Maggie stirred, and sleepily rubbed her eyes.
"Wake up wide, Maggie! Only look! Did you ever see such a thing?"
Maggie opened her eyes, and sat up beside Bessie. On the foot of the bed—one on Maggie's side, one on Bessie's—were two boxes. On each sat a large doll—and such dolls! They had beautiful faces, waxen hands and feet, and what Bessie called "live hair, yeal live hair." They were dressed in little white night-gowns, and sat there before the surprised and delighted children as if they had themselves just wakened from sleep. Maggie threw off the bed-covers, scrambled down to the foot of the bed, and seized the doll nearest to her.
"Who did it, Bessie?" she said.
"I don't know," said Bessie. "Mamma, I guess. I think they're for your birthday."
"Why, so I s'pose it is!" said Maggie. "Why don't you come and take yours, Bessie?"