[Illustration: Three girls carrying a small Christmas tree.]

3. She was a merry little girl, indeed; but she felt sad this morning
because her mother had said, "The children will all have Christmas
presents, but I don't expect any for myself. We are too poor this year."

4. When Jessie told her brothers this, they all talked about it a great
deal. "Such a good, kind mamma, and no Christmas present! It's too bad."

5. "I don't like it," said little Jessie, with a tear in her eye.

6. "Oh, she has you," said Joe.

7. "But I am not something new," said Jessie.

8. "Well, you will be new, Jessie," said Joe, "when you get back. She has
not seen you for an hour."

9. Jessie jumped and laughed. "Then put me in the basket, and carry me to
mamma, and say, 'I am her Christmas present.' "

10. So they set her in the basket, and put green branches all around her.
It was a jolly ride. They set her down on the doorstep, and went in and
said, "There's a Christmas present out there for you, mamma."

11. Mamma went and looked, and there, in a basket of green branches, sat
her own little laughing girl.

12. "Just the very thing I wanted most," said mamma.