"Agreed!" said they all; and away they go among the stores on Main street. But this will not do, and grandma doesn't care for that; she has so many presents already it will be hard to find any thing fresh and good for her unless they buy something rare and costly; but she wouldn't be pleased to have so much money laid out for her, and the "children" can't afford it.
But one has a bright thought. "Grandma dearly loves flowers; let's get her a plant or two, they will not cost very much."
So they hurry from the stores to the greenhouse, for it must go out by the very next mail.
"How sweet!" they all exclaim as they enter. "See those roses! How moist and green and summery it is here!" Surely so! for the beauty and breath of ten thousand flowers that the Lord had made, that moment were there.
A marguerite and a begonia full of buds are soon bought, and the kind greenhouse man asks but a trifle for them. Does he know that they are going to grandma, and that she will take good care of the darlings? Maybe he has no grandma.
Home they hurry with their two treasures, and they tuck them away in a nice, new, clean pasteboard box. They look like two dear babies put to sleep in their crib.
Now a strong string is tied about the box, then a paper over that, and another string, and grandma's name and post-office are carefully written upon it. And just across the street is honest old uncle Samuel, or Sam, as most folks call him, but he was called that way when he was born. He is always ready to run on certain kinds of errands, and this is one of them. So he will carry the flowers and the big foolscap letter too, all the way to grandma—nearly a hundred miles—for fifteen cents! Very cheap, you see. But that's his way, and he makes a good living because he's never idle like some folks who won't work unless they get the highest wages.
On and on and on he hurries to carry your message, and he goes just as cheerfully and cheaply a thousand miles for you as one. How like Jesus, who came so far to bring us good tidings of great joy; only that he didn't charge any thing at all, and he would have come and died all the same, if there hadn't been but one poor sinner in all the world to be saved!
But uncle Samuel is there now. Can't you see him hand it out to grandma?
How she wonders who sent it, and what it is. There! She has her scissors, and she says, "Stand away, children, till I see what is in this pretty box!" Then "snap, snap," go the scissors, and away fly the cords, and she lifts the cover off carefully, and there the two darlings are sleeping as soundly as babies.