Pretty soon Little Girl noticed that there was a bright light all
around her--oh, a very bright light--and right away something down in
her heart began to make her feel very happy indeed. She didn't know
that the Christmas spirits and little Christmas fairies were all around
her and even right inside her, because she couldn't see a single one of
them, even though her eyes were very bright and could usually see a
great deal.

But that was just it, and Little Girl felt as if she wanted to laugh
and sing and be glad. It made her remember the Sick Boy who lived next
door, and she said to herself that she would carry him one of her
prettiest picture-books in the morning, so that he could have something
to make him happy all day. By and by, when the bright light all around
her had grown very, very much brighter, Little Girl saw a path right in
front of her, all straight and trim, leading up a hill to a big, big
house with ever and ever so many windows in it. When she had gone just
a bit nearer, she saw candles in every window, red and green and yellow
ones, and every one burning brightly, so Little Girl knew right away
that these were Christmas candles to light her on her journey, and make
the way dear for her, and something told her that this was Santa's
house, and that pretty soon she would perhaps see Santa himself.

Just as she neared the steps and before she could possibly have had
time to ring the bell, the door opened--opened of itself as wide as
could be--and there stood--not Santa himself--don't think it--but a
funny Little Man with slender little legs and a roly-poly stomach which
shook every now and then when he laughed. You would have known right
away, just as Little Girl knew, that he was a very happy little man,
and you would have guessed right away, too, that the reason he was so
roly-poly was because he laughed and chuckled and smiled all the