They were looking in the window of the toy shop as they spoke and both little girls at once spied our two friends in the comer of the window. "I am going to buy that dear little Japanese doll," said Bessie. "And I want that cute little Messenger Boy," said Alice. The Japanese Lady and the Messenger Boy looked very happy at this, for they thought it would be very nice to go to live with two such dear little sisters. So they smiled and nodded at Bessie and Alice, but the little girls never saw it. This was not strange, for they had never heard that all the dolls come to life on Christmas Eve. Now all the time the two small sisters had been admiring the dolls, there were two other children who were looking at them just as eagerly, but who were very different in appearance from Bessie and Alice. For these children were very poor indeed and did not expect to have any doll at all on Christmas morning. They lived away down in East Fourteenth Street with their big sister. Their mother and father were dead and the only one they had to take care of them was this good big sister who loved her two little sisters very dearly and did all she could for them. They all lived together in two little rooms, and Maggie, who was ten, did all the housekeeping, while Annie, who was eight, helped her as much as she could. They had just been to the great department store where the big sister worked and had left some supper for her, because this night she would have to work until half-past eleven. They were now on their way home, but although they were very cold and shivered through the thin garments they wore, they had to stop to see the beautiful dolls. "Oh, jest look at this little doll in the purple dress, ain't she grand! See the little yeller butterflies all over her! I wisht I could have her for Chrissmus," said Maggie. "I'd ruther have the little boy in the blue suit," answered Annie. "He looks jest like a fair messenger boy. Ain't he cute?" And the two children pressed their faces against the window in profound admiration of the wonderful dolls. After a while they moved away. In the meanwhile Bessie and Alice with their nurse had entered the toy shop. After admiring the various things each purchased the doll she liked best. These were carefully done up by the salesman and the two children started for home. They were at the corner of Broadway and about to cross for a cable car when Bessie caught sight of our two little Fourteenth Street children. "Oh, nursie, do let us see those two poor little girls. They don't look as though they were going to have any Christmas at all!" "Never mind them, Miss Bessie, it's time you were home." But Bessie would not be persuaded and Alice seconded her. "Mother likes to have us kind to our poor little brothers and sisters," said she, "please nurse, let us speak to those little girls." So the nurse rather reluctantly consented and the two children hurried and soon caught up with Annie and Maggie.