John, slipping on the new smoking jacket, sat on the edge of the bed and with the pleased curiosity of a boy of twelve inspected his presents. “Well Pip (meaning his father) must be feeling good this Christmas; his check will come in handy. What nice things mother buys; she’s always thinking of my comfort. Perfectos from Sally Bradley and strong black ones; she should know by now I don’t like that brand. That’s the cigar that Jelly Bean Stoll smokes. He’s been there quite a bit lately. I bet she sent the brand I like to him; got things mixed up. Oh! what a beautiful cigar case, and from Fannie Scott! She’s the hot stuff! That girl has some taste! She gets better looking every day. I’ll go to see her tomorrow night; but I really should go to Sally’s. Hello! here’s a beefsteak or ten pounds of nails; it looks like it just came from the butcher shop or the hardware store. No, it’s from Big Creek! Where’s Big Creek? Oh, I remember that little girl, all legs and arms. She looked like a mosquito and talked like a preacher. Well! Well! Well! mittens and yarn socks; the first I have seen in ten years, and a letter. ———— “Big Creek, Kentucky. “December 18th, 1914. “John M. Allen, Esq. “Dear Friend: “It is seven months today since you were here and I have grown a lot. My birthday was last month, November 7th. I am now thirteen. Miss Smith, the teacher, says: ‘Jeannette at last you know how to write a letter. No wonder, you have spent half your time trying.’ The dictionary is nearly worn out. I look up every word. “Last summer I hunted ‘Sang’ on the mountain for three days and when granny went to Hyden to sell the feathers, the eggs and a basket of chickens, she sold it and the store man gave her 1 dollar and 60 cents, all mine. “Hi Lewis lives up the creek. He has some sheep and I bought 2 pounds of wool from him with part of my money. I washed the wool until it was as white as the whiskers of Santa Clans then I spun it into yarn on granny’s spinning wheel and gave Sim Blair the mail man two bit to buy me some red and blue dyes and some I made red and some blue. With the blue I made granny some mits and grandpa some socks but I kept the red for your Christmas gift and last night I finished it.