The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1915-12-31

she ended, smiling soillS.
Jane swallowed a lump in her throat
"'Tain't what you give nor how
much you give that counts" said Mary
i'm n low voice. Its the feeling that
goes with it"
Jane Gray was silent for a long time.
The sun dropped behind the most dis
tant peak, and twilight fell in the lit
tie room.
Cousin Amelia Sturgis always want.
ed the Sour rush bottomed chairs.
said Jane suddenly. i've got two sets
of them, you know
II remember. Why don't you give
'em to herr"
II guess l WILL And Belle Sturgis
said she'd die happy if she could have
some of her great grandmother's old
bedquilts."
"Give her some"
81 WILL" decided Jane. "And Sarah
Smith can have the cherry table. and
Elsie Finch wants a clothes hamper
I've got two. Then Elsie's husband
would set store by fathers saddle. III
fond Of riding that mare he raised
Then there's an old blue teapot that
belonged to my greataunt. Flora. Why,
Mary Moore | do believe | could iii
out the whole family with things they
want. One OF Dora'S girls would like
that wine rolored velvet l used tu
wear. She could make it over for this
winter"
isn't it great" cried Mary enthusi-
astically. And then after you've tied
up all the things III have Lew brin',
the box wagon around. and he can
cart your presents around to all the
folks. And then you can have Il bic
Christmas dinner and invite them all
to GOMEZ
"Christmas dinner. Mary Moore. l
sef.'
HAS any one invited you to dinner
yet?"
Eyes. every one of them, but some
how it hurts me to go
"Foolish jane laughed Mary ten
me you had 400 cans of fruit and pro
serves in your cellar that You brought
from the big house. Well, you know I
was sick last summer and | didn't put
up a speck of fruit. I'll make Il trade
with you. Give me some canned fruit
and III sell you one of our biggest
turkeys, and I'll make YOU Il plum pud-
ding and some pies. and you can trade
out all the vegetables you want.
What say"
"Mary, there's nothing to say except
'yes!'" cried Jane tearfully. 81 have
a feeling this is going to be a wonder
full Christmas"
give no doubt it will be the happiest
one you ever spent said Mary as she
folded up her work "I'll come over in
the morning. and Well plan out the
whole thing
1t was certainly the happiest Christ
mas Jane Gray had known since hcl
childhood 1t is one thing to set out
to do Christmas shopping with a wei
filled purse and fine Disregard of the
price of things. and it is another an(
more pleasurablc thing to go over ones
belongings and select things that will
directly appeal to- the heart of the re
cipient. If the giving implies a sacr
flee on the part of the donor the gift is
the more blessed
Jane smiled happily as she pulled
out the carefully preserved articles OF
furniture from the carriage house an(
wrapped them up in gay papers. and
the searching through her twenty
trunks was like straying through for
gotten chambers of her memory
There were pretty fans and laces anL
quaint trinkets and bits Of jewelry tc
gladden. the hearts Of the girls and
their mothers. old fashioned books and
toys for the children, and for the mer
folks there were books and interesting
curios from the collection Of her ia
Their. retired sea captain.
And all the relations who had feared
to give very much to rich Jane Gray
because it might be interpreted as {
desire to seek favor with her gave
lavishly from their grateful hearts OF
this particular Christmas day. AND
each one accepted James invitation tt
dinner until the little house was over
flowing with merriment and goot
cheer. They set two tables, one in thu
dining room for the grownups anf
another in the sitting room for the chill
dren. and when the delicious meal wa:
over they all declared it was the hap
piest Christmas they had ever known.
"Seems as if we love each other more
this Christmas" said little Sammy
Finch wisely. and the elders all smiled
at each other. The young girls wht
had always feared Jane a little gath
cred about her and kissed her for thu
pretty old fashioned gowns she hat
given them to make over, and Jane
recognized that warm glow thai
Mary Moore had described as the righ
Christmas spirit.