CHAPTER VI
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
CHAPTER VI.
Ir was Christmas day, and very cold.
Susy and Miss Joy ran out of doors and threw snow at each other till their cheeks were like roses.
Robbie sat in his high chair at the nursery window, and Susy threw little bits of snow up to him, and he kept trying to catch them.
When Susy went in, she found Mrs. Love packing up baskets of good things to be sent away.
There was one, not very large, but pretty heavy, full of sugar and tea for poor old Mrs.
Hadn't Any.
"Oh, mamma!" said Susy, "I can lift this basket! I can carry it four miles!"
Her mamma laughed.
"Well, I can carry it three miles," said Susy.
Her mamma only smiled, and kept on helping Mrs. Love fill the other baskets.
"J could carry it as far as across the street," said Susy.
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
" Yes, I suppose you could.
And I do not know but I shall let you carry it," said Mrs.
Love.
" All myself?"
" Yes, all yourself."
Then Susy was delighted indeed.
She ran upstairs to get her coat and hood, and while nurse was putting them on, she said:
"Oh! P'm going to carry a great, big basketful of good things, to a poor woman!"
"T too!" said Robbie.
"Oh! no, Robbie! you are not old enough.
When you are as old as I am, then you shall go."
"Oh! I suppose you lived in the ark," said their nurse, patting her fat cheek.
Then Susy ran downstairs, and they put the basket in her hands, and told her to go straight across the street, and round the corner, and the very first house would be Mrs. Hadn't Any's.
Susy had never been out alone in her life.
She took up the basket, and marched off, while they all watched her from the basement windows.
'The basket was heavy, but she did not
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
mind that, because Miss Joy went with her and helped carry it.
And then old Mrs. Hadn't Any was waiting at the door all ready to take it, for she knew it was coming, and she wished
Susy a "Merry Christmas!" and said: " Now I mean to have a nice hot cup of tea for my
Christmas!"
When Susy got home, Miss Joy could hardly let her stand still long enough to have her things taken off.
"Oh, mamma!" said she, "it's nice to carry baskets to poor old women.
It's better than hanging up stockings !"
"Indeed it is," said her mamma.
"A great deal better.
And I am going to send Robbie now to Mrs. Thankful's with ever so many things."
" Robbie is too little," said Susy.
"Don't be selfish, Susy," said Mrs. Ought.
Susy blushed.
"He is too little," said she.
"He never walked out in his life."
"Oh! no, he isn't too little," said Mrs. Love.
" He carries the Bible to his papa every morn-
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX TEACHERS.
ing at prayers, and he never is so happy as when he has something to give away.
He is a sweet child!
Just as sweet as a lamb !"
"So he is!" said Susy.
"I'm glad he is going.
He shall wear my mittens if he wants to.
And [ll look out of the window, and see him go."
Then Mr. Ought smiled on Susy with such a smile that she really felt as if the sun had been shining down to warm her.
"I begin to like Mr. Ought," thought she.
"He is very pleasant."
"On the whole, Susy, you may go with Rob. bie," said Mrs. Love.
"You and nurse can carry the basket till you get to the house, and then you can give it to him."
So Susy and Miss Joy scampered upstairs, and they told Robbie all about it, and Robbie put his arms round Susy's neck and kissed her.
And when he gave the basket to Mrs. Thankful, his face had more than a basketful of delight in it, and Susy was the very happiest little girl you ever saw.