"You're very long-winded, Thomas," pronounced Roger, patting his friend on the shoulder, "but we get your idea. I second the motion, Madam President. We'll give ten cent presents to our relatives and friends and put all the rest of our stupendous fortunes into giving the orphans a good time and getting some duds for Ayleesabet or paying for what she has already." The motion was carried unanimously, and each one of them handed to James a calculation of how much he would be able to contribute to the Christmas fund. "It will come pretty near being ten cent presents for the orphans," James pronounced after some work with pencil and paper. "We can't give them anything that the wildest imagination could call handsome." "There are plenty of people interested in the orphanage who give the children clothes and all their necessities, you know," Margaret reminded her brother. "Don't you remember when we talked this over before we said that what we'd do for them would be to give them some foolishnesses--just silly things that all children enjoy and that no one ever seems to think it worth while to give to youngsters in an institution." "Will they have a tree?" "Our church always sends a tree over there, but I must say it's a pretty lean tree," commented James. "It has pretty lights and a bag of candy apiece for the kids, and they stand around and sing carols before they're allowed to take a suck of the candy, and that's all there is to it." "The Young Ladies' Guild has an awfully good time dressing it," testified Margaret. "So did I winding up Dicky's mechanical toys last Christmas," said Roger rather shamefacedly. "I'm afraid the poor kid didn't get much of a look-in until I got tired of them." "In view of these revelations, Madam President," began Tom, "I move that whatever we do for the orphans shall be something that they can join in themselves, and not just look at. Anybody got an idea?" "Our minds have been so full of the Christmas Ship that it has squeezed everything else out, I'm afraid," admitted Della, with a delicate frown drawing her eyebrows. "Why can't we continue to make the Christmas Ship useful somehow?" inquired Dorothy. "Meaning?" "I hardly know. Perhaps we could have our presents for the children in a Christmas Ship instead of on a tree." "That's good. They'll have one tree anyway; this will be a novelty, and it can be made pretty." "Can we get enough stuff to fill a ship?" "Depends on the size of the ship." "It wouldn't have to be full; just the deck could be heaped with parcels." "And the rigging could be lighted." "How can we ring in the children so they can have more of a part than singing carols?" "Why not make them do the work themselves--the work of distributing the gifts?" "I know," cried Helen. "Why not tell them about the real Christmas Ship and then tell them that they are to play that they all went over with it on its Christmas errand. We can dress up some of the boys as sailors--"