"I'm afraid not," said Maggie; "I guess he has not enough to buy bread and fire; he looks so cold and thin, and what dreadful old clothes he has!"
"Poor fellow!" said Bessie, in a pitying voice. "I s'pose he would like some money very much. Do you think we could spare him a little of ours, Maggie?"
"If we do, we can't spend so much for our presents," answered Maggie, pulling out her portmonnaie from her muff and looking doubtfully at it.
"Do you think papa and mamma would mind it, Maggie, if we each gave the boy five cents, and did not spend quite twenty for them?"
"I don't like to take it off papa's and mamma's presents," said Maggie. "They are so very good to us, I want to give them all we can; but, Bessie, I'll tell you. You know I was going to spend ten cents for you, and you ten cents for me. Now we might only spend five cents for each other, and then we can each give five to the boy. I don't mind, if you don't, Bessie."
"No, Maggie, I'd yather give it to him, and then maybe he'll look a little glad."
So each taking five cents from her pocket-book, they ran to the door and put the money into the poor boy's hand, who did indeed look "a little glad" as he received it.
When they came back to the table, the picture of the dog stood just in front, where not only Maggie but Bessie, also, could see it quite plainly.
"I hope nobody will think we meddled with that picture," said Bessie.
"No one shall think so," said the gentleman, who had been sitting near, as he rose and threw down his paper. "I moved it myself."