XVII 
THE BIRDS’ CHRISTMAS TREE 
Preparation 
Tue Christmas sale was over. It had been held in the 
play and work rooms the Saturday before Christmas, and 
was a great success. The dressed dolls, iron-holders, 
aprons, bird-houses, wooden spoons, racks for clothes, 
and little knickknacks had been ranged on the work- 
table and carpenter’s bench, and all the people of the 
neighbouring towns, as well as from Fair Meadows village 
itself, had been asked to come and see. When they came 
and saw, they stayed to buy. 
The bird-houses proved the greatest novelty, and 
Tommy Todd and Dave, their cheeks red with excite- 
ment, were kept busy taking orders for more, to be fin- 
ished by May or June, one customer said. She, however, 
was very much amused when Tommy told her that if she 
expected to have birds in the house (it was a box for Tree- 
swallows) the first season, she must have the house in 
place before April, so that it might ‘“‘be weathered a little, 
and the birds find it when they first came, and not think 
it was a trap put up to catch them.” 
Gray Lady donated some delicious cake of Ann’s 
make, and hot chocolate, and while the visitors enjoyed it, 
they asked many questions about the bird class, the school 
at Foxes Corners, and the motives of the Kind Hearts’ 
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