“Only look, Georgie!” continued the little girl, as she stretched out her small, white hand, and gently touched the flowers; “are they not beautiful? The kind doctor who comes to see me sometimes sent them to me for Christmas. They smell so sweet!”
“They are beautiful, Mary,” said Georgie. “I am very glad that you have got them; and Willie and I have brought you something for Christmas, too.”
As he spoke, he took the paper of grapes from Willie’s hands, and gave it to Mary’s mother, saying,—
“Will you please to put a bunch upon a plate, and give them to Mary?”
“O Mary! this is just what I have wanted to give you when your mouth is so hot and parched,” exclaimed her mother. “I am sure we thank you very much, Georgie.”
“Willie gave me the money,” replied Georgie. “He gave me a gold dollar to buy a book: but it cost only half a dollar; and so we could buy grapes for Mary.”
“They are very nice,” said the little girl, as her mother carefully removed the skin from one of the grapes, and placed it in her mouth. “I thank you, Georgie; and I thank Willie, too: I am glad he came to see me.”
“I will come again, Mary,” said Willie, going up to the bedside: “and I will bring you one of my boxes of guava jelly; for I had two in my Christmas stocking. Sick people can eat guava jelly; and you will like it, I am sure.”
Mary’s mother did not like to have the little girl talk long at one time: so Georgie and Willie bade her good-by, and went away; and very soon it was time for Willie to go home.
His mother was much pleased to hear about his visit; and she said, “Your gold dollar has made several people happy,—has it not Willie?”