Part 17 (1/2)

It was a little evergreen tree planted in a red flower-pot. The pot had stripes of gilt paper stuck on it, and gilt stars and crosses, which made it look very gay. The boughs of the tree were hung with oranges, and nuts, and s.h.i.+ny red apples, and pop-corn b.a.l.l.s, and strings of bright berries. There were also a number of little packages tied with blue and crimson ribbon, and altogether the tree looked so pretty, that Katy gave a cry of delighted surprise.

”It's a Christmas-tree for you, because you're sick, you know!” said the children, all trying to hug her at once.

”We made it ourselves,” said Dorry, hopping about on one foot; ”I pasted the black stars on the pot.”

”And I popped the corn!” cried Philly.

”Do you like it?” asked Elsie, cuddling close to Katy. ”That's my present--that one tied with a green ribbon. I wish it was nicer! Don't you want to open 'em right away?”

Of course Katy wanted to. All sorts of things came out of the little bundles. The children had arranged every parcel themselves. No grown person had been allowed to help in the least.

Elsie's present was a pen-wiper, with a gray flannel kitten on it.

Johnnie's, a doll's tea-tray of scarlet tin.

”Isn't it beau-ti-ful?” she said, admiringly.

Dorry's gift, I regret to say, was a huge red-and-yellow spider, which whirred wildly when waved at the end of its string.

”They didn't want me to buy it,” said he, ”but I did! I thought it would amoose you. Does it amoose you, Katy?”

”Yes, indeed,” said Katy, laughing and blinking as Dorry waved the spider to and fro before her eyes.

”You can play with it when we ain't here and you're all alone, you know,” remarked Dorry, highly gratified.

”But you don't notice what the tree's standing upon,” said Clover.

It was a chair, a very large and curious one, with a long-cus.h.i.+oned back, which ended in a footstool.

”That's Papa's present,” said Clover; ”see, it tips back so as to be just like a bed. And Papa says he thinks pretty soon you can lie on it, in the window, where you can see us play.”

”Does he really?” said Katy, doubtfully. It still hurt her very much to be touched or moved.

”And see what's tied to the arm of the chair,” said Elsie.

It was a little silver bell, with ”Katy” engraved on the handle.

”Cousin Helen sent it. It's for you to ring when you want anybody to come,” explained Elsie.

More surprises. To the other arm of the chair was fastened a beautiful book. It was ”The Wide Wide World”--and there Was Katy's name written on it, 'from her affectionate Cecy.' On it stood a great parcel of dried cherries from Mrs. Hall. Mrs. Hall had the most _delicious_ dried cherries, the children thought.

”How perfectly lovely everybody is!” said Katy, with grateful tears in her eyes.

That was a pleasant Christmas. The children declared it to be the nicest they had ever had. And though Katy couldn't quite say that, she enjoyed it too, and was very happy.

It was several weeks before she was able to use the chair, but when once she became accustomed to it, it proved very comfortable. Aunt Izzie would dress her in the morning, tip the chair back till it was on a level with the bed, and then, very gently and gradually, draw her over on to it. Wheeling across the room was always painful, but sitting in the window and looking out at the clouds, the people going by, and the children playing in the snow, was delightful. How delightful n.o.body knows, excepting those who, like Katy, have lain for six months in bed, without a peep at the outside world. Every day she grew brighter and more cheerful.

”How jolly Santa Claus was this year!” She happened to say one day, when she was talking with Cecy. ”I wish another Saint would come and pay us a visit. But I don't know any more, except Cousin Helen, and she can't.”

”There's St. Valentine,” suggested Cecy.