Dolls and Santa

Raggedy Ann only got to enjoy all this space for a month. Then, on my birthday in January, Andy showed up and from then on they had to share the high chair.  They didn't seem to mind too much as far as I could tell.

My Raggedy Ann had a handkerchief in her pinafore pocket which could be taken out and put back in.  This was quite the upscale feature as I discovered that Sunday at church.  I took her with me of course and was playing with the handkerchief during the meeting.  The girl behind us also had a new Raggedy Ann doll but hers did not have a removable handkerchief in the pocket.  She was quite disappointed.  I, on the other hand was quite proud.

A few years later I got my comeuppance.  While comparing Christmas gifts with my best friend she showed me a liddle kiddle doll (it was a thing back then) that she had gotten in her stocking.  I hadn't gotten one but I was sure I just hadn't looked deep enough into my stocking because of course Santa would have brought me one too.  I rushed home and pulled my stocking out of my mom's cedar chest.  It was sadly empty.  No doll was hiding in the bottom.  At that moment, the seeds of doubt started to form about the existence of Santa.  He had let me down terribly and was obviously not the man I thought he was.