ocks and rosy cheeks, have such very
weak and wicked causes for their displeasure against this poor child?
Could they so willingly hurt her heart, when she had come from so many
days of toil to what she had thought would be a day of pleasure, so that
she must often turn her head to wipe off the tears with her little red
hand? And these children, had they come to honor the Christ-child?

Their teacher had watched their games, and saw how they played among
themselves, and cast out the little Susan from their play; and she
thought that not only did they dishonor the Christ-child, but her who
had brought them all together.

But Susan still thought of the Christmas-tree, the present it should
bear for her, and how she should take hers home for Johnny; and she
thought, too, of the two little sixpences done up in the paper in her
pocket. Helen, too, was not unmindful of her bright gold-piece, and had
taken good care to show it before the eyes of all the children; and
Susan had seen it, and thought of Johnny,--how he had said he wished he
had still more to send to the children so far away,--and she thought the
little girl with the gold-piece must be happy enough to send it; and she
began to feel half ashamed that she had no more money, and, as their
unkind looks continued, she asked herself if she had any right to be
there.

But the Christmas-tree was ready. A servant came in and closed tightly
the shutters, so the room was all dark, and then the parlor-doors were
thrown open, and there stood the tall, beautiful tree, with candles of
all colors, which were burning like so many stars, and above it hung
the Christ-child, with a smile as of love, and his arms stretched out as
he would call them to him. And on the tree were nice gifts, books and
toys, pictures, and lace bags, tied with gay ribbons, filled with
candies. But Helen, and all the children who had found rich gifts in
their stockings that morning, turned indifferently from these, admiring
the novelty of the Christmas-tree.

But to the child they had neglected,--the little girl in the cotton gown
and coarse, thick shoes, the little Susan,--these gifts, as well as the
tree, were very precious; for she had not jumped eagerly from her bed
that morning to find rich presents in her stockings, for she did not
expect them to be there; she had awoke early to think of the visit to
the teacher's house, the sight at the tree, and the gifts it should bear
for her and Johnny.

So