THE CHRISTMAS TREE 145 



holding parasols over their heads, real chil- 

 dren, who had grown up between brick walls 

 on a paved street, came trooping into their 

 nursery-room. 



^^When I am a man,'' cried Alec, the oldest, 

 **I'll be a forester and work in the woods !" 



**And I," said Archie, **I am going to build 

 houses out of wood.'' 



**I am going to live in a tree I" shouted little 

 Ray, and all laughed. 



**What are you going to do, Emily?" asked 

 Archie of their sister. 



**I should like to take poor city children into 

 the forest, that they might be as happy as I 

 am now," Emily replied. **See, Alec, what a 

 beautiful tree, so like a cone ! I think it must 

 have grown here just to make me glad." 



And she sat down beside the little balsam- 

 fir while her brothers scampered about like 

 squirrels. 



'^I have seen trees that looked like you, 

 every Christmas I have seen them," she said 

 to Cho-koh-tung, for it seemed as if she had 

 found a little woodland friend in the great 



