Amanda gave her the privilege of the rag barrel. This resulted in a new
Christmas suit of silk and velvet for baby; and this she made.

When Elsie left "The Home" the matron had given her a little needle-book
containing a spool of thread and thimble for a good-by present. These
now came into good play. She used the lamp shears to cut with.

When all was done the babe looked beautiful, except that it had no
stockings. It had not even legs. "I'll make her a wooden leg, and let
her be a cripple, then I shall love her all the better."

But after she had made the leg, and a very good one, too, she hadn't the
heart to break the skin of her child, and push it in.

"I'll make the stockings without legs," she said, and so she did.

Elsie was very careful never to let her child see, or mention before
her, how busy she was for Christmas.

She felt very sorry for Miss Amanda, and wished she had something to
give her, but she could think of nothing except the piece of white paper
she found with her potato-child. The afternoon before Christmas she took
it from the candle-box, and smoothed it out upon the cover. It had some
writing upon one side. Elsie thought it was very pretty writing - it had
so many flourishes. Elsie could not read it, of course, but she hoped
Miss Amanda would like it.

How should she give it to her? She didn't dare hand it to her outright,
and she was certain Miss Amanda wouldn't hang any stocking; so just
before dark she slipped into Miss Amanda's sleeping-room, and laid it on