tree,
Polly? I can get that easy in the woods, you know."

"Well," interrupted Polly, eagerly, "we haven't got anything to hang on
that, either, Ben. You know Jappy said folks hang all sorts of presents
on the branches. So I don't see," she continued, impatiently, "as
that's any good. We can't do anything, Ben Pepper, so there! there isn't
anything to do anything with," and with a flounce Polly sat down on
the old wooden stool, and folding her hands looked at Ben in a most
despairing way.

"I know," said Ben, "we haven't got much."

"We haven't got anything," said Polly, still looking at him. "Why, we've
got a tree," replied Ben, hopefully. "Well, what's a tree," retorted
Polly, scornfully. "Anybody can go out and look at a tree outdoors."

"Well, now, I tell you, Polly," said Ben, sitting down on the floor
beside her, and speaking very slowly and decisively, "we've got to do
something 'cause we've begun; and we might make a tree real pretty."

"How?" asked Polly, ashamed of her ill-humor, but not in the least
seeing how anything could be made of a tree. "How, Ben Pepper?"

"Well," said Ben, pleasantly, "we'd set it up in the corner--"

"Oh, no, not in the corner," cried Polly, whose spirits began to rise
a little as she saw Ben so hopeful. "Put it in the middle of the room,
do!"

"I don't care where you put it," said Ben, smiling, happy that Polly's
usual cheerful energy had returned, "but I thought.--'twill be a little
one, you know, and I thought 'twould look better in the corner."

"What else?" asked Polly, eager to see how Ben would dress the tree.

"Well," said Ben, "you know the Henderson boys gave me a lot of corn
last week."

"I don't see as that helps much," said Polly, still incredulous. "Do you
mean hang the cobs on the branches, Ben? That would be just dreadful!"

"I should think likely," laughed Ben. "No, indeed, Polly Pepper! but
if we should pop a lot, oh! a bushel, and then we should string 'em, we
could wind it all in and out among the branches, and--"

"Why, wouldn't that be pretty?" cried Polly, "real pretty--and we can do
that, I'm sure."

"Yes," continued Ben; "and then, don't you know, there's some little
candle ends in that box in the Provision Room, maybe mammy'd give us
them."

"I don't believe but she would," cried Polly; "twould be just like
Jappy's if she would! Let's ask her now--this very same minute!"

And they scampered hurriedly to Mrs. Pepper, who to their extreme
a