A thousand tiny voices seemed to be calling to Kitty in audible gusts of perfume: “Eat us! taste us! with the touch of sunshine upon us!”
“Is there any any harm to pluck and eat some of that delicious fruit?” asked Kitty, who had never felt such a desire to set her teeth in a juicy peach.
“No Christmas! no blessing! no Johnnie! if you loiter,” murmured the guardian child. “You are not in need of food. You are not hungry—you are not thirsty—it would be greediness.”
“Suck!” said the naughty sprite. He had plucked an enormous strawberry and put it to Kitty’s mouth.
“Don’t!” whispered the guardian child.
Kitty looked up impatiently. His eyes were fixed on the star. He looked so bright, so good, so like Johnnie, Kitty felt ashamed and put the strawberry aside.
“Silly!” hissed the naughty sprite.
“Christmas blessing! Christmas blessing!” laughed the guardian child as Kitty set off running up the narrow path, closing her eyes not to see the tempting fruit.
A sound of many feet made her open her eyes.
Helter! skelter! a crowd of children were bounding along, all in one direction, laughing as they went.