"John always did better with the pineapples than anybody we have tried,"
said Mrs. De Witt at this point. "He is the only one who really
understands pineapples."

At this moment the door opened, and there was a sound of chirping voices
in the hall. "Please, Miss Florence," said Betty, "the little folks says
they wants to give you a Christmas." She added in a whisper: "They thinks
much of giving you something, poor little things--plaze take it of 'em."
And little Tottie at the word marched in and offered the young princess
his dear, beautiful, beloved string of glass beads, and Elsie presented
the cross of red berries--most dear to her heart and fair to her eyes.
"We wanted to give _you something_" she said bashfully.

"Oh, you lovely dears!" cried Florence; "how sweet of you! I shall keep
these beautiful glass beads always, and put the cross up over my
dressing-table. I thank you _ever_ so much!"

"Are those John's children?" asked Mr. De Witt, winking a tear out of his
eye--he was at bottom a soft-hearted old gentleman.

"Yes, papa," said Florence, caressing Elsie's curly hair,--"see how sweet
they are!"

"Well--you may tell John I'll try him again." And so passed Florence's
Christmas, with a new, warm sense of joy in her heart, a feeling of
something in the world to be done, worth doing.

"How much joy one can give with a little money!" she said to herself as
she counted over what she had spent on her Christmas. Ah yes! and how