THE CHRISTMAS TREE 159 



the children's delight; but no, it was the gifts 

 that made them gay. And so Cho-koh-tung 

 could not but be happy, too, though she longed 

 to be even more beautiful than she was. 



And when evening came, and the family 

 was gathered around the long, bright table. 

 Father slipped into the parlor and flashed light 

 after light from the colored tapers over the 

 tree. There she stood, a blaze of splendor, 

 blinking as she used to blink when the sun- 

 light sparkled on her snow-laden boughs. Yes, 

 Cho-koh-tui]fg used to wear a mantle of snow- 

 ermine and a crown of ice-diamonds and stand 

 like a princess on an alabaster floor ; yet still 

 was she a beautiful princess of the forest, 

 wearing her green velvet gown, and come to 

 town at Christmas time to make the children 

 glad I Father drew up the shades that pass- 

 ersby might see her beauty, and then rolled 

 back the sliding-doors. 



**Are you not glad that I gave up cones for 

 Christmas candles?" she asked, as little Emily 

 clapped her hands for joy ; and Emily laughed, 

 not that she heard what the balsam was saying, 



