THE CHRISTMAS TREE 147 



** What a gay little place ! All the pretty ever- 

 green trees keep Christmas here together, 

 though some of the child-trees come to town to 

 make us glad at Christmas time." 



^^Dear one, would it make you glad should I 

 leave my forest home and come to you at 

 Christmas time ? ' ' asked Cho-koh-tung. ' ' Yet 

 tell me, what is Christmas time?" 



Did Emily understand ? For she smiled and 

 said, *' Christmas time means happy time, and 

 the giving of gifts!" 



And then the merry band of children went 

 laughing into the forest. 



*'They talked of what they would do when 

 they grew up," said the pine tree. *'As for 

 myself, I expect to be changed into something 

 useful to Man." 



*^As the simshine blesses us now," said Cho- 

 koh-tung, *^so a way will come whereby we in 

 turn may bless with the sunbeams stored away, 

 transformed into the sunlight of joy. I hope 

 it may be my mission to be something that 

 children love. That will be better than living 

 my own life in the forest." 



