p of the hand.

The woman and the child looked at each other--one of those glances that
stamp a face upon one's memory. Mrs. Linley was always afraid of street
trash. They might have fever, or small pox, or some other infection,
lurking in their rags.

The carriage drove on. The children were happy, generous, well-behaved,
and belonged to a Christian family. They were going to prove all this
now. Besides gifts for mama and papa, and some little cousins, half a
dozen poor children were to be remembered.

They spent all the pleasant, sunshiny middle of the day going from shop
to shop. What hosts of tempting things! A perfect Santa Clause revel
everywhere. It was like a glimpse of fairy-land.

Frank and Nellie laughed and talked, ran to mama with a hundred pretty
things, but did not tease.

They had quite a load in the carriage. And oh! wouldn't lame Johnny
Ashton be delighted with his books, and the wheel-chair mama had bought
him, and Susy Dorr would be the happiest of the happy in her new plaid
dress, and her teacups and saucers.

"Poor children love to play just as well as rich children, don't they,
mama?" said grave, sweet Nellie.

"I hope you will never forget, my dear, that we are all created alike,
and that all the poor little ones are just as precious in God's sight."

"And it is so nice to make them happy!"

Mrs. Linley gave her darling a smile.

"And Christ the Lord was born for everybody," Frank added in a
reflective manner. "My teacher told me so on Sabbath,--so that all
little children might be saved, and,--have a merry Christmas."

"Maybe they can't all have a merry Christmas. Some are very poor and
sick, and nobody seems to care for them--like the little beggar-girl who
stood watching us when we started. O mama! isn't it hard? What becomes
of them?"

The sweet face was full of tender pity.

"God takes care of them, like the sparrows," said Frank.

[Illustration: "_They shivered with the cold._"]

Mrs. Linley did not answer. Already her heart condemned her, for after
all, she was a kind-hearted woman. She half expected to find the
wretched object on her doorstep. If so, she would try to make amends for
her harsh words. But she was not there.

When they returned home from shopping, they shivered with the cold and
ran to the register. Then papa came home, and they had the happiest
Christmas eve imaginable. Of course one cannot make one's charities go
all around the world, but Mrs. Linley th