her candle close to
the little children's faces.

"Is He here?" she asks. "Is the little Christ-Child here?" And then she
turns sorrowfully away again, crying: "Farther on, farther on!" But
before she leaves she takes a toy from her basket and lays it beside the
pillow for a Christmas gift. "For His sake," she says softly, and then
hurries on through the years and forever in search of the little
Christ-Child.

FOOTNOTE:

[O] From "The Children's Hour," published by the Milton Bradley Co.

XXIII

CHRISTMAS IN THE BARN[P]

F. ARNSTEIN

ONLY two more days and Christmas would be here! It had been snowing
hard, and Johnny was standing at the window, looking at the soft, white
snow which covered the ground half a foot deep. Presently he heard the
noise of wheels coming up the road, and a wagon turned in at the gate
and came past the window. Johnny was very curious to know what the wagon
could be bringing. He pressed his little nose close to the cold window
pane, and to his great surprise, saw two large Christmas-trees. Johnny
wondered why there were _two_ trees, and turned quickly to run and tell
mamma all about it; but then remembered that mamma was not at home. She
had gone to the city to buy some Christmas presents and would not return
until quite late. Johnny began to feel that his toes and fingers had
grown quite cold from standing at the window so long; so he drew his own
little chair up to the cheerful grate fire and sat there quietly
thinking. Pussy, who had been curled up like a little bundle of wool, in
the very warmest corner, jumped up, and, going to Johnny, rubbed her
head against his knee to attract his attention. He patted her gently and
began to talk to her about what was in his thoughts.

He had been puzzling over the _two_ trees which had come, and at last
had made up his mind about them. "I know now, Pussy," said he, "why
there are two trees. This morning when I kissed Papa good-bye at the
gate he said he was going to buy one for me, and mamma, who was busy in
the house, did not hear him say so; and I am sure she must have bought
the other. But what shall we do with two Christmas-trees?"

Pussy jumped into his lap and purred and purred. A plan suddenly flashed
into Johnny's mind. "Would you like to have one, Pussy?" Pussy purred
more loudly, and it seemed almost as though she had said yes.

"Oh! I will, I will! if mamma will let me. I'll have a Christmas-tree
out in the barn for you, Pu