hat they would not go to Ion till
Christmas morning, as they all preferred to celebrate Christmas eve at
home. The children were going to hang up their stockings, but had not
been told that they would have a tree or any gifts. They thought, and
had said to each other, that perhaps papa might think the money he had
given them to spend and to give, and the privilege of selecting objects
for his benevolence, was enough from him, but the friends at Ion and
Fairview always had remembered them, and most likely would do so again.

"Still they may not," Lulu added with a slight sigh when she talked the
matter over with Max and Grace that morning, for the last time; "for
they are all giving more than usual to missions and disabled ministers,
and poor folks, and I don't know what else; but it's real fun to give to
the poor round here; I mean it will be to help put things on the trees
and then see how pleased they'll all be when they get 'em: at least I do
suppose they will. Don't you, May?"

"I shall be very much surprised if they're not," he assented, "though I
begin to find out that 'it is more blessed to give than to receive.' And
yet for all that if I get some nice presents to-night or to-morrow
I--sha'n't be at all sorry," he added with a laugh.

"Max," said Lulu reflectively, "you knew about the Christmas tree
beforehand last year; hasn't papa told you whether we're to have one
this time or not?"

"No, not a word; and as he tells me almost always what he intends to
have done about the place," the boy went on with a look of pride in the
confidence reposed in him, "I'm afraid it's pretty good evidence that
we're not to have one."

For a moment Grace looked sorely disappointed; then brightening, "But
I'm most sure," she said, "that papa and mamma won't let us go without
any presents at all. They love us a great deal, and will be sure to
remember us with a little bit of something."

"Anyway it's nice that we have something for them," remarked Lulu
cheerily. "Papa helped us choose Mamma Vi's, and she advised us what to
make for papa; so I'm pretty sure they'll both be pleased."

It was while waiting for their father to take them to the school-house
that they had this talk, and it was brought to a conclusion by his voice
summoning them to get into the carriage.

"There is no time to lose, my darlings," he said, "for it is likely to
take about all the morning to trim the two rooms and two trees."

CHAPTER V.

G