ndmother called her it was to do rather an
interesting thing, for a Christmas box for the poor minister of a
distant parish was to be packed, and Marian enjoyed handing her
grandmother the articles to be put in and to talk over them. Grandma
knew the circumstances of the family to whom the box was going and
that there was a little girl somewhat younger than Marian to whom
her out-grown clothes would go. Marian thought she would have
enjoyed sending something more personal, and said so.

"Is there nothing you can make a sacrifice of, my child?" asked her
grandmother solemnly. "Christmas is the time for that, you know.
Our Lord gave His best to us and that is why we also give."

Marian turned over in her mind her various possessions. She simply
could not give up Patty Wee after all the dangers she had been
through, neither could she part with her big doll, for that had been
Annie Hunt's, and had been given to herself only because Annie's
mother was so fond of Ralph Otway's daughter. Muff was out of the
question for he would smother in that box. But there were the paper
dolls Miss Emily had made. She could give them. So she went
up-stairs, took out the envelope which contained these treasures,
softly kissed each painted face and said, "You are going to a new
home, my dears, and I hope you will like it. Good-bye, Mr. Guy
Mannering, good-bye, Mrs. Mannering, good-bye, little baby." She
put them all back in the envelope and carried it down-stairs. "I am
going to send these to Mary Eliza," she said steadily. "They are the
paper dolls Miss Emily made me."

"That is my good girl," said her grandmother. "Your gift will come
back to you in some other form, some day. I am much pleased that
my little granddaughter is so disposed to be generous with the
bounties the Lord has bestowed upon her." And Marian really felt
quite light-hearted the rest of the day.

Her spirits, too, were further lightened that afternoon when she was
made the special messenger to carry to Miss Almira Belt the very
lavender and white wrapper which she and Patty had picked out that
day when they were doing the make-believe shopping. Marian, of
course, told Mrs. Hunt all about it, and as one of the Guild which
looked after such things, it had been voted to give Miss Almira some
such present, and Mrs. Hunt had gone with Mrs. Perkins to select it.
They had all agreed that Marian's choice was such a good one that it
must be bought if possible, and fortunately