itty's head.

"That is more than I can say, darling. Although your Christmas tree
seems such a big thing to you, it is only a little one; and if it were
put off it would be a disappointment to you, but not a trouble, you
see."

Kitty was silenced but not satisfied, and each night added a postscript
to her prayers that the flood, if it was to come, should not occur
before her Christmas tree. It was to be held in the school-room on
Christmas Eve. The secret had exploded now, for the invitations were
out, each one written by Kitty herself, and personally delivered in the
course of her morning rambles. Paul and Sally were to come as humble
helpers. December 23rd was a particularly wild, wet day; but a gleam
of sunshine at the close of it produced a rainbow so brilliant in hue
that Kitty regarded it as a written sign in the heavens that the flood
would be averted, certainly until after her Christmas tree. But it was
such a brief gleam of sun! All night through the rain fell, and the
wind, which had been fairly quiet the previous day, rose to a perfect
tempest, roaring in the tree-tops round the rectory, groaning in the
chimneys, and dashing the rain in sheets against poor little Kitty's
window-pane; and when in the morning Nurse drew up the blind, and burst
into an exclamation of surprise, Kitty knew that her worst fear was
realized, and that her prayer had been unavailing. The "Lord that
dwelt on high" did not seem to have listened. She tried to nerve
herself to bear the tidings which Nurse conveyed in as cheerful a tone
as she could assume.

"Miss Kitty, my dear, what do you think has happened? The waters are
out, and the river is turned into a great big lake, and the houses are
standing out of it like little dots. It all looks so funny; shall I
lift you out to see?"

But Kitty had buried her head under the clothes, and was sobbing
quietly to herself. No mention was made of the Christmas tree in her
prayers that morning, and the prayers themselves were very perfunctory
indeed--said more from the force of habit than because she had any
faith in their efficacy. True, the rain had ceased now, but what was
the good of that now the flood had come? And the worst of it was that
she could not talk this matter out to daddy; he would think her
dreadfully wicked. So it was a very white-faced Kitty that presented
herself at the breakfast-table, and she received her father's assurance
that her tree should not be aba