Christmas for ten cents

Betsy turned and led the way to the far end of the store.

There on a long table Christmas tree ornaments were set out for sale. There were boxes and boxes full of them, their colors mingling in bewildering iridescence. There were large fragile balls of vivid hues, there were gold and silver balls; there were tinsel angels, shining harps and trumpets, gleaming stars.

‘Here,’ said Betsy, ‘here we buy.’

She looked at Winona, bright-eyed, and Winona looked from her to the resplendent table.

‘Nothing,’ Tacy tried to explain, ‘is so much like Christmas as a Christmas-tree ornament.’

‘You get a lot for ten cents,’ said Tib.

They gave themselves then with abandon to the sweet delight of choosing. It was almost pain to choose. Each fragile bauble was gayer, more enchanting than the last. And now they were not only choosing, they were buying. What each one chose she would take home; she would see it on the Christmas tree; she would see it year after year, if she were lucky and it did not break.

They walked around and around the table, touching softly with mittened hands.

–Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown, Maud Hart Lovelace

As someone who loves Christmas, Christmas-tree ornaments, and everything about Betsy-Tacy, this quote is, well, just perfect.

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