A Daughter of the Land

"Pshaw! Big and strong as I am, and Adam getting such a great

boy, we can make it," she said. Then she hurried to the hack and

was driven home barely in time to rush her bundles into her room

before school was out. She could scarcely wait until the children

were in bed to open the parcels. The doll had to be dressed, but

Kate was interested in Christmas by that time, and so contemplated

the spider-waisted image with real affection. She never had owned

a doll herself. She let the knitting go that night, and cut up an

old waist to make white under-clothing with touches of lace, and a

pretty dress. Then Kate went to her room, tied the doll in a safe

place on the tree, put on the books, and set the candles with

pins. As she worked she kept biting her lips, but when it was all

finished she thought it was lovely, and so it was. As she set the

sled in front of the tree she said: "There, little folks, I

wonder what you will think of that! It's the best I can do. I've

a nice chicken to roast; now if only, if only Mother or Nancy

Ellen would come, or write a line, or merely send one word by

Tilly Nepple."

Suddenly Kate lay down on the bed, buried her face in the pillow

while her shoulders jerked and shook in dry sobs for a long time.

At last she arose, went to the kitchen, bathed her face, and

banked the fires. "I suppose it is the Bates way," she said, "but

it's a cold, hard proposition. I know what's the matter with all

of them. They are afraid to come near me, or show the slightest

friendliness, for fear I'll ask them to help support us. They

needn't worry, we can take care of ourselves."

She set her tree on the living room table, arranged everything to

the best advantage, laid a fire in the stove, and went to sleep

Christmas eve, feeling more like herself than she had since the

explosion. Christmas morning she had the house warm and the tree

ready to light while the children dressed. She slipped away their

every-day clothing and laid out their best instead. She could

hear them talking as they dressed, and knew the change of clothing

had filled them with hope. She hastily lighted the tree, and was

setting the table as they entered the dining room.

"Merry Christmas, little people," she cried in a voice they had

not heard in a long time. They both rushed to her and Kate's

heart stood still as they each hugged her tight, kissed her, and

offered a tiny packet. From the size and feeling of these, she

realized that they were giving her the candy they had received the

day before at school. Surprises were coming thick and fast with

Kate. That one shook her to her foundations. They loved candy.

They had so little! They had nothing else to give. She held them

an instant so tightly they were surprised at her, then she told

them to lay the packages on the living room table until after

breakfast. Polly opened the door, and screamed. Adam ran, and

then both of them stood silently before the brave little tree,

flaming red, touched with white, its gold star shining. They

looked at it, and then at each other, while Kate, watching at an

angle across the dining room, distinctly heard Polly say in an

awed tone: "Adam, hadn't we better pray?"