Avenue, though you may often
hear children laughing in the Park and sometimes in the cross streets
up-town.

Then there was another eagerness in the faces, that was not for money,
but was the anticipation of giving pleasure before long, and of being
pleased too; and that is a great part of the Christmas spirit, if it is
not the spirit itself. It is doubtless more blessed to give than to
receive, but the receiving is very delightful, and it is cruel to teach
children that they must not look forward to having pretty presents. What
is Christmas Day to a happy child but a first glimpse of heaven on
earth?

Overholt glanced at the faces of the passers-by with a sort of vague
surprise, wondering why they looked so happy; and then he remembered
what they were doing, and all at once his heart sank like lead. What was
to become of the turkey and the ice-cream on which Newton had built his
hopes for Christmas? Would there be any dinner at all? Or any one to
cook it? How could he go and get things which he would not be able to
pay for on the first of next month, exactly a week after the feast? His
imagination could glide lightly over three weeks of starvation, but at
the thought of his boy's disappointment everything went to pieces, the
present, the future, everything. He would have walked all the way down
town again to beg for a loan of only a few dollars, enough for that one
Christmas dinner; but he knew from the banker's face that such a request
would be refused, as such, and he dreaded in his misery lest the money
should be offered him as a charity.

He got home at last, weary and wretched, and then for the first time he
remembered the letter he had written asking for employment as a teacher.
He had been a very good one, and the College had been sorry to lose
him; in two days he might get an answer; all hope was not gone yet, at
least not quite all, and his spirits revived a little. Besides, the
weather was fine now, even in Connecticut; there would be a sharp frost
in the night, and Newton would soon get some skating.

V

HOW THE CITY WAS BESIEGED AND THE LID OF PANDORA'S BOX CAME OFF

Almost the worst part of it was that he had to tell his boy about his
dreadful mistake, and that it was all over with the Motor and with
everything, and that until he could get something to do they were
practically starving; and that he could not possibly see how there was
ever to be ice-cream for Christmas, let alone such an ex