ally
accomplished when Miss Hetty happened to discover that there were some
things which had to be attended to in the attic.

But best of all was the joy of helping Zeke Grey and Emil Maise cut down
the enormous tree for the church. Nor did the children wonder, nor take
any credit to themselves when the son-in-law of Jeoffrey Maise worked
side by side with the nephew of Jim Grey, to set the tree in place.

Yet when it came to filling the candy sacks and decorating the tree
these tasks were assigned as separate duties to the ladies of the two
clans. Both parties still could not forget the past even around the
children's Christmas tree. The minister's son was everywhere and so too
was Alois Maise who was just home for the holidays.

While the church was thus the scene of festive preparation, Pearl was
busily engaged in rehearsing her song with Mr. Grey.

"Splendid!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "I didn't imagine that my
words would fit so well. They don't amount to much in themselves,
girlie, but you must sing into them all that my heart would say. Sing as
you do now, and the minister and Joe and I, and perhaps--perhaps Aunt
Hetty will bless you forever, dear."

The delight of dressing that evening, the joy of the hurried supper, the
happiness in walking hand in hand with the beloved aunt to the brightly
lighted church! How could Miss Hetty or the children ever forget that
night!

"Do you know, Auntie," said Peri thoughtfully, while the soft snow fell
about them, "I'm thinking of my last Christmas. How much different this
one is. Now we have you, and a home, and Mr. Grey, and Joe and
everything we need and everybody loves us. Even Pearl wouldn't go back
to the circus for anything. But I keep thinking tonight of what the Fat
Woman said, last Christmas when Jerry the clown gave her a silver
mirror. She said, 'Thanks awfully for making me remember that Christmas
is here again. But I guess it ain't so much what we give and get as it
is the way we feel about giving and getting it round Christmas time.' I
told this to Joe Smith yesterday and he said, 'Yes, Peri, the spirit of
Christmas is the Spirit of Him whose birthday we celebrate.' Oh, Aunt
Hetty, aren't you--aren't you hoping that I'll grow up to be like Smith
some day? I wish that I could do something for him. It's grand to do
things to make people happy and good. I reckon the two are about the
same thing, happiness and goodness. Oh, just look how the church is li