“It’s a very good plan, nevertheless,” said Mrs. Crawford. “Perhaps it would have been wiser not to tell you about that.”
“Now, mamma!” said Kristy reproachfully.
“I think,” mamma went on, “that I shall have to make up for that story of a girl who didn’t like to work,—at least that kind of work,”—she corrected herself, “by telling you about a girl who worked enough for two.”
“Oh, oh!” cried Kristy, “I’m afraid that’ll not be very interesting.”
“Well, you shall see,” said mamma, “for I’m going to tell you how she got up a whole Christmas tree alone, and made everything on it herself.”
“Oh!” said Kristy relieved, “that’ll be good, I know; begin.”
“Well, I’ll begin where the story begins, as I have heard May tell it, with a talk between her sister and herself. One morning a little before Christmas the two girls got to talking about that happy time and the way it is celebrated, and May listened eagerly to Lottie’s description of a tree she had at her aunt’s the year before.”