'I'm afraid there won't be any Christmas cheer this year,' said Mother.

The six children stared at her in dismay. 'No Christmas! No presents or turkey or Christmas Tree!' Mother looked at their disappointed faces and sighed. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'But with Papa so ill in hospital and not much money, I don't think it would be right. Perhaps when Papa's better we'll have a late Christmas.'

Little Susie pouted and began to cry. 'It's not the same. It's not right not having Christmas on 25th December.'

But Mother wasn't listening. She began to put some fresh fruit into a basket to take to the hospital for their father. All six children wandered out into the street. Everything looked gloomy.

There was a little house on the corner where their old friend, Mrs Lacey used to live. But now she had gone to live with her daughter, because she was very old and frail. The little house stood empty and dark. It expressed exactly what the children were feeling. 'Poor Papa,' said James. 'We mustn't forget how awful it is for him, stuck in hospital at Christmas.'

Just as the children reached the corner a funny thing thing happened. A light came on in the little house. The door opened. On the step stood Mrs Lacey's daughter. She smiled at them all. 'Dear me, you look gloomy,' she said. Susie burst into tears. 'We're not having Christmas this year,' she wailed. 'We can't have that,' said Mrs Lacey's daughter. 'Do you know why we've come back?' The children shook their heads.

'Mother was homesick for Christmas in her own little house. So we've come back to warm it up and spend one last Christmas here before we sell. It's not really Christmas though without children, so how would you like to come along here on Christmas evening?'

'Oh yes,' they chorused.

On Christmas afternoon Mother set off for the hospital to visit Papa, and the children ran down the street to the little house on the corner. What a lovely surprise! In the lighted window stood a little Christmas tree, its lights ablazing. The children gasped in wonder at the welcoming sight.

'Come on in, my dears,' said Mrs Lacey's daughter, and old Mrs Lacey was sitting in a chair, smiling a welcome. There was a regular Christmas feast, and a present for each of them, too.

But the best present of all was when Mother returned to say Papa was coming home the very next week!