The Christmas Tree Read Online Free PDF Page A

experiencing that familiar, happy sensation of being out on the street.
    When we arrived at their automobile and the man opened the door, it took me a minute to realize I was supposed to go inside. I had never been inside an automobile before!
    I scrambled in and watched with excitement as the man put the key in the ignition and then felt the engine start, with a loud roar and a bump. I wanted to laugh out loud, but I had just spent a year learning to keep my feelings locked inside. Those poor people! They must have thought I was miserable, sitting up so straight in my seat not saying a thing, except please and thank you when I was given something to eat and drink.
    We drove for quite a while, long enough for the scenery flashing by the window to turn from gray to green. This new world seemed vast and a little lonely to me. We went for miles without seeing a person, only a cow here and there. The beauty of the scenery only made me feel increasingly scared and sad as I realized I now had nothing to connect me to my old life in New York, not even concrete.
    We turned off the main road onto another road before we finally rounded the bend that led to the most amazing building I’d ever seen. So many fanciful windows and nooks, it looked like something from a picturebook. It was Brush Creek, of course.
    I was overcome with the strangest feeling. My parents had sent for me—they had been waiting for me in this wonderful new home, together with the cat from the alley. Maybe Mrs. Ellis was here, too. There certainly was plenty of room for everyone.
    I pulled on the car door handle, trying to open it. All of a sudden I didn’t care if my happiness showed.
    â€œThere you go,” said the man, reaching back and pushing the door for me.
    I jumped out of the car and found myself skipping across the lawn. I thought I’d forgotten how.
    I began to yell, “Hello! Hello! I’m here!”
    The door to the giant house opened and someone came out, a big smile on her face.
    I stopped and remained absolutely still as I realized what a terrible mistake I had made.
    The person walking toward me was a woman, but she looked very odd, all tucked into a flowing black robe as if she was trying to hide. I had never seen a nun before.
    My heart sank and I felt like crying. Of course my parents weren’t here. Only more strangeness.
    â€œYou must be Anna,” said the cloaked woman. “Welcome to Brush Creek.” She had plump, rosy cheeks and little round eyeglasses. It was hard to tell if she was old or young.
    I turned and looked for an explanation from the people who had brought me here.
    â€œAnna, why do you look so shocked?” the woman said. “We told you you’d be coming here to stay with the Sisters, who have so kindly agreed to take care of you.”
    Then I did remember hearing something about “sisters” while we were walking to the car, but since I didn’t have any sisters I had assumed they weren’t talking to me and had stopped listening.
    The nun with the rosy cheeks was Sister Frances, who took charge then as she does now. “My name is Sister Frances,” she said. “Why don’t you come on in and let me show you around.”
    What choice did I have? I picked up my little bag and my satchel and went inside.
    â„ ❄ ❄
    Sister Anthony stopped talking, abruptly. “My goodness,” she said. “Look at the time. I can’t believe I’ve rattled on like this.”
    We’d been sitting there a long while. There was so much I wanted to ask her, so much I wanted to tell her, too, but I could see our time was up. So I thanked her for an interesting afternoon, and went on my way, surprised at how reluctant I was to leave.

Chapter Four
    Friends

    I didn’t expect to see Sister­ Anthony again after that strange afternoon of companionship and revelation. Certainly I had no plans to ask about her tree again. I make it a rule never to