ed to occur to her, and
turning from the decorations she cried eagerly to them, "Oh, did you
get--!" and then glancing at Miss Alice, covered her mouth with her
hand, laughed very much, but would not finish what she had begun to say.

She nearly went wild over the beautiful Bible and could hardly thank the
givers enough.

"And I can read it my own self too, 'cepting of course the long words,"
she said. "How queer it'll be to be sitting up reading a chapter to
mother 'stead of her reading to me!"

"You might read to her those Christmas verses in Luke to-morrow that I
read to you not long ago," Miss Alice suggested.

"Oh! I will. Where are they, I wonder?" said Jennie.

Edith found the place, while Marty snipped off a little bit of her blue
hair-ribbon for a mark.

Some cakes and fruit Mrs. Howell and Mrs. Ashford sent Jennie were also
highly appreciated. They had also sent some small but useful and pretty
presents for her mother, which Jennie was to have the pleasure of giving
to her. Thus they all tried to bring some Christmas joy into the poor
little girl's life.

When Marty and Edith went home they each found a small parcel that Jimmy
Torrence had left for them. They contained nicely crocheted
bureau-covers for their dolls' houses, and were marked in Miss Alice's
handwriting, "For Marty, from Jennie," and "For Edith, from Jennie."

"Ah! this was the secret she had with Cousin Alice," exclaimed Marty.
"Just look mamma! isn't it a pretty cover?"

Edith was equally pleased with hers, and Jennie seemed much pleased with
their hearty thanks.

"I really believe she enjoyed making and giving those little things more
than any other part of Christmas," said Miss Alice. "I suppose it made
her feel as if she was in the Christmas times."

Marty never enjoyed any Christmas season so much as this one, when she
worked so hard to give happiness to the poor. She had her temptations to
overcome, too; for when the stores were filled with beautiful things
that she would like to buy for herself or her friends, it was very hard
to keep from entrenching on the money she had saved up for a special
Christmas missionary offering. But her year's training in missionary
giving had not gone for nothing, and she was able to make a missionary
offering a part of her Christmas celebration.

The members of the band had not forgotten the talk they had had over
Mrs. C----'s letter, when they resolved to try very hard to double their
usual