The story is based on a true event during post-depression times. My two sisters(who are both now deceased) were small children at the time. Even during extremely hard times financially, mother was able to give each girl a doll. She wanted to sew new clothes for the dolls from scraps of material, but could not find a time when the girls were not busy playing with them!
One morning she announced to the girls that the dolls were going to Europe for the summer. (This was long before travel abroad was even a possibility for most.) The dolls' trunk was packed, and they were seen off on the train. During the remainder of the summer the girls received post cards from the dolls in Europe. With the arrival of each card the girls hastily got down the second-hand encyclopedia to read about their dolls' whereabouts. They gat an elaborate tour of Europe vicariously through the dolls!
In the meantime, mother tucked the dolls away in her bedroom and diligently spent the summer sewing beautiful doll clothes. When the dolls arrived home at the end of the summer, their trunk was packed full of the most elegant clothing the girls had ever seen! And, mysteriously, there was a secret surprise for the girls in the corner of the trunk.
This event happened sixty years ago, but is still alive in our family, and has served as one of many connection points for us as we each went our separate ways. The tie that binds families together comes from just such pogignant and ever-present memories.