miss my dear friend and my visit home very much. Would you let me have him for a few days in the holi- days if he comes as Margaret. I know you do not like boys, but I am sure you will think she is just as nice as a real girl".

"Jean, I think that would be a nice Christmas present for you. How about it?"

I said, "I would love that more than anything else I can think of".

"Well then, write to Margaret that I will be very pleased to have her come and stay as long as possible. I suppose she would not want to leave her mother for Christmas day, but she could come after".

So I went back to Mother almost walking on air, and wrote Harold at once telling him to bring his pret- tiest dresses too. He wrote back that he could come a couple of days after Christmas and stay after the New Year as the school heating had broken down and school would start a week late on account of it. Was I ever happy.

I thought I would have a surprise for him when he came. One day I heard Miss Elliott and mother talk- ing about presents. She told mother that she had some lovely old earrings that she had made into more mod- ern ones, and thought of giving them to me if I liked wearing them, but I would have to have my ears pierced and what did mother think about it. Mother said that I was crazy about earrings and kept asking how soon I would be old enough for her to allow me to wear them, so there was no question but that I would be thrilled to get them. I decided to surprise them as they talked about how long it would take for my ears to heal up, and too bad I could not wear them for Christmas. I knew a nurse who pierced ears so I went to her and explained. She pierced my ears and put in little plastic tubes that hardly showed at all. All I had to do was change my hair style a bit to cov- er all my ears. So Christmas morning after I had op- ened my presents and thanked Miss Elliott for the loveliest earrings I had ever seen, I slipped into my bedroom and put on a long pair. They did not notice for some time till I started swinging them. Were they surprised. I had to explain that I had heard them talking and wanted to be ready for Christmas. I was

27.