Show e first P re BY 1 I e 4 of eleanor E kins kin 4 t sa 0 git MN UMON T WAS tho the martins pleasure every year nt at christ ulas nias time to go 90 to somo orp lians horito and bring back two or three little children to spend the holidays with them this year their choice had been two girls and a boy join jean and robert brother and sister wid and douzette Sou zette a little bright eyed winsome girl mr and mrs martla martin and mother they had asked the children to call them and the three biddles were busy trimming tile the tree my aly what beautiful ornaments ex claimed douzette Sou zette what bully lights you mean corrected robert who wils nil all eyes for electrical things well I 1 like the tree trea best put in jean its wonderful did you have a tree when you were little mother queried the child rather shyly yes I 1 had one every year and I 1 still have my tree you see pears like always lad bad them it said robert they have had them for long long years you ever heard about the first christmas tree wo no burst forth robert they dont have time to tell us anything at a t K what beautiful ornaments Ornament Ol the home but get up and go to bed well a long time ago there was a huge forest where the fairies and ives elves all lived they had a fairy queen who was alaya planning surprises arises for thein one day she called a few of tier her favorite around tier her and gave them some orders now inow bo be sure and dont tell i kiyone site alio said and oft off they wert laughing and whispering to earh carh other dilys days lins passed sed weeks passed slid and then months but still these little fairies were busy as bees working at some big secret from morning till night ill bet you keap a secret that long jean go an tell Sou douzette zette you always do put in robert finally the fairy queen sent out her ber heralds and called till all tier her subjects about tier her when they were assembled slie she said Ir tomorrow corn como 0 to tills this place lit the same time drue put on your finest clothes and come happy aas ns a lark for I 1 have a great surprise for you then the fairy queen sent out oui her heralds ahti aads again and this time had all I 1 tho the forest folk sent to her when every bird ind and animal la in tho the forest was assembled before tier her sho told them what site sho had told tho the fairies and elves civet they fairly scampered away they were so eager to get ready for tho the morrow 11 do you suppose they afre more mora excited than we were when we got ready to como come here piped up little douzette Sou zette 1 I dont think they could b be 0 91 mrs martin smiled lit at tier her and gave her a kiss brushing a tear from tier her eyes and steadying tier voice she went on the morrow came even though many of tho the little folk thought it never would come they were all there parly early waiting batting wat ting dressed in their grandest clothes cleth cs at the tha time set tho queen carne came sho she led them to r a well a lona time ago large opening in the forest fores t and trien the fairies and forest folk stopped in amazement they had never seen anything uko like this eight before what what was it the children chorused I 1 geol gee I 1 I 1 almost dropped that great big ornament said robert excitedly it was a great huge pine tree decorated with little packages these little parcels were wrapped lit in paper which watch looked like a spiders webb so fine silky and delicate was it then these were suspended from the treo tree by a string which shone in the afternoon sunlight like raindrops little stars had given their services for the surprise and they twinkled from among all tho the branches it was too much for tho the litile subjects and they sat down about the ila tree where they were to admire ll it then some ot of tho the fairies began taking the packages on oft arid and giving one to each mer member riber there was honey for mister brar bear clil cheese ese for or A mister mouse corn tor for mister lint but berries and seeds for the birds just everything that they had wanted it was a great success you know santa grew up with these fairies and no I 1 know it broke in jean and hor her eyes grew the size 0 ot saucers sau cera SW so continued mrs martin when santa began making toys fur for children lie ho thought of tills this idea of tile the pano it tapes ces and he tool ft a tree for each child and hung their presents on it by and by though its his load grew to such fuch a size that lie fou found nd it N was va impossible to carry so many trees yes said practical robert they took up too much room and lie he wanted to make toys mrs martin nodded 11 SQ so 1 the mothers and fathers agree 11 to get the trees and trint trim theiu for him which helped him a great deal how they thought of thera ornaments then said Sou douzette zette this ahta tho the last one to put on too come on lets get to bed quick now so santa will come suggested robert and they ve been helping all these years said jean dreamily ever since replied airs alardin a ln now lets see who will be lu bed i f farst |