Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when
Paul came out of his office, a street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.
"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.
Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astonished. "You mean your
brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? Boy, I wish...." He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like
that. But what the lady said made Paul quite surprised.
"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively2 he added, "Would you like to
take a ride in my automobile?"
"Oh, yes, I'd love that."
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, "Mister, would you mind driving
in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted
to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.
"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the steps. Then in a little
while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled
brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of4 squeezed up5 against him and pointed to
the car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for
Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna6 give you one just like it...
then you can see for yourself all the
pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother
climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned that it was more blessed to give....