membered just where she
had seen the child, and a pang of bitter self-upbraiding pierced her
heart. She kissed the still lips for her mother's sake, and laid her
gently down. Had Susy and Granny entertained an angel unawares, while
her blind eyes had not been able to discern "the least of these?"

"Oh!" said Susy sobbing, "I'm so glad you came. I s'pose she thought it
was her own mother, for she has talked about her all the time. Poor
little girl! I shall always be thankful that I brought her in out of the
cold, though I never guessed she was going to die."

"The fame of your Christmas feast has gone up among the angels, Susy,"
said Mr. Linley reverently. "And now, my dear girl, have little Jennie
buried where you like, and bring the bill to me. I want a little share
in your good work."

Mr. and Mrs. Linley walked home quietly. Had her beautiful Christmas
tree borne any such fruit as this?

"For I was an hungered and ye fed me."

[Illustration]

THE BARN THAT BLOSSOMED

"Mother, it was dreadful!" Gerry's face was all shades of soberness, and
her voice had a suspicious quiver in it. "I almost wish I hadn't seen.
The house is fairly tumbling down; they couldn't have been warm once
last winter. And there were five of them, from the baby up to Tad; he's
twelve. Such clothes! Just as if somebody's rag-bag had fallen apart and
begun to walk around. No wonder poor little Mrs. Jimson is nothing but a
mite of discouragement. Old Jim wasn't much of a man; but I suppose he
did put a bite inside of the rags once in a while, and she doesn't know
where even that is coming from, now he's gone. At least, not bites
enough to satisfy five unragged appetites."

Mother Brace's hands fell upon the potato-pan, knife and all. "Why,
Gerry, child, what can we do? Our own bites aren't any too big; but I
suppose we can spare a few vegetables now and again, if any grow
without old Jim to hoe them. But we certainly haven't any houses or
extra clothes, unless--maybe I could spare--"

"You can't spare a single clo', you blessed mother!" interrupted Gerry.
"You're not to worry at all, but I am going to think and think. I'm sure
I shouldn't be made to feel so bad if there wasn't something I could do
to help."

With which cheerful logic she sprang up and set about finishing her
morning's work, interrupted to attend the short and simple funeral
service said over the body of "old Jim Jimson," who had given them such
help as they could