"At Christmas time we're to try to make other people happy," said Molly, meditatively. "_I_ thought of something that would make a great lot of people happy, if you and aunty would do it, grandmother dear?"
"I don't think you did _all_ the thinking about it, Molly," said Sylvia, with a slight tone of reproach. "I do think I did some."
"Well, I daresay you did. We did it together. It couldn't be for _this_ Christmas, but for another."
"But what is it?" asked grandmother.
"It is that you and aunty should make a book out of the stories you've told us, and then you see lots and lots of other children would be pleased as well as us," said Molly. "Of course you'd have to put more to it, to make it enough. I don't _mind_ if you put some in about me, grandmother dear, if you would _like_ to very much."
"No," said Sylvia, "that would be very stupid. Grandmother couldn't make a book about _us_. We're not uncommon enough. We couldn't be _heroines_, Molly."
"But children don't care about heroines," said Molly. "Children like to hear about other children, just really what they do. Now, don't they, grandmother dear? And _isn't_ my plan a good one?"
Will _you_ answer little Molly's question, children dear? For dear you all are, whoever and wherever you be. Boys and girls, big and little, dark and fair, brown-eyed and blue-eyed, merry and quiet--all of you, dear unknown friends whose faces I may never see, yet all of whom I love.
I shall be so glad--so very glad, if this little simple story-book of mine helps to make this Christmas Day a happy and merry one for you all.
THE END.
_Macmillan's Prize Library_
A Carefully Selected Series of Illustrated Books suitable for Presentation.
_Baker, Sir Samuel W._ Cast up by the Sea.
_Besant, Sir Walter._ Life of Captain Cook.
_Bradley, A. G._ Life of Wolfe.
_Buckland, Frank._ Curiosities of Natural History. Vols. I.-III.
_Buckley, A. B._ Through Magic Glasses.
_Butler, Sir William._ General Gordon.
_Cooper, J. Fenimore._ The Last of the Mohicans.
The Deerslayer.
The Pathfinder.
The Pioneers.
_Corbett, Sir Julian._ For God and Gold.
Sir Francis Drake.
_Creasy, Sir E._ The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World.
_Dickens, Charles._ Oliver Twist.
The Old Curiosity Shop.
Christmas Books.
Barnaby Rudge.
_Edgeworth, Maria._ Lazy Lawrence and other Stories.
_Eliot, George._ Scenes of Clerical Life.
_Finny, Violet Geraldine._ Revolt of the Young MacCormacks.
_Fowler, W. Warde._ A Year with the Birds.
Tales of the Birds.
More Tales of the Birds.
_Fraser, Edward._ Famous Fighters of the Fleet.
_Gilmore, Rev. John._ Storm Warriors; or Life-Boat Work on the Goodwin Sands.
_Grimm, The Bros._ Household Stories.
_Henley, W. E._ Lyra Heroica. A Book of Verse for Boys.
_Hooper, G._ Life of Wellington.
_Hughes, T._ Tom Brown's School Days.
Alfred the Great.
_Keary, A. and E._ Heroes of Asgard.
_Kingsley, Charles._ Hereward the Wake.
Westward Ho!
The Heroes.
The Water-Babies.
Madam How and Lady Why.
Glaucus.
_Kipling, Rudyard._ Selected Stories.
_Laughton, Sir J. K._ Life of Nelson.
_Marryat, Captain._ Newton Forster.
The Pirate and the Three Cutters.