to the message, dancing lightly down
the hall as a hummingbird might flutter along, and the mere sight of her
merry face as it popped through the study doorway was like a sudden
shaft of sunlight in the great room. The President had determined to
meet her gravely, even sternly, and show her that her uncalled-for
generosity had displeased them, but in spite of himself, his eyes
softened as they rested upon the sweet, round face upturned for a kiss,
and he gently drew her into his lap before telling her why he had sent
for her.

"Why, yes, grandpa," she readily confessed. "I did give away some of my
clothes and other things, and so did Allee, 'cause the children of the
ministers on the frontier need them so much more than we do. Why, we're
rich now and can have anything we want! You said so yourself, you know.
We couldn't give the things we didn't want ourselves, grandpa, 'cause
that wouldn't be a _sacrilege_; and the pretty lady who talked at the
missionary meeting that day said it was the _sacrileges_ we made in this
world that put stars in our crowns in the next world."

"Sacrifice, dear, not sacrilege."

"Is it? Well, I knew it was some kind of a sack. I want lots of stars in
my crown when I get to heaven. Just think how terrible you'd feel
s'posing when St. Peter let you inside the Gates, he handed you just a
plain, blank crown. Mercy! I know I'd bawl my eyes out even if it does
say there aren't any tears in heaven. So I picked out the things I liked
the very best of all I got on Christmas--that is, most of them were. I
don't care much for dolls, so that wasn't any sacri-_fice_ for me; but
Allee likes them awfully much yet, and it was a big sacri-_fice_ for her
to let hers go. But I sent my dear, beautiful plaid dress that I thought
was the prettiest of the bunch, though I let Allee keep the one she
liked best, seeing she cried so hard about Queen Helen. She didn't seem
to enjoy thinking about the big star she'll get in its place, so I told
her I thought likely you or grandma would give her even a prettier doll
for her birthday, which isn't very far off now. I sent the book which
tells all about the way little children in other lands spend Christmas
day, but it was pretty hard work to give that one up. I pulled it out of
the heap three times, and fin'ly had to run like wild up to Mrs.
Scofield's house with it, so's I wouldn't take it out and put it on the
shelf to stay."

"But why did you take so many things?" a