`` Ai n't I glad , though . Hurrah ! '' His mother was washing the breakfast dishes in a dreary , listless sort of way . She looked tired and broken-spirited . Ted 's enthusiasm seemed to grate on her , for she answered sharply : `` Christmas , indeed . I ca n't see that it is anything for us to rejoice over . Other people may be glad enough , but what with winter coming on I 'd sooner it was spring than Christmas . Mary Alice , do lift that child out of the ashes and put its shoes and stockings on . Everything seems to be at sixes and sevens here this morning . '' Keith , the oldest boy , was coiled up on the sofa calmly working out some algebra problems , quite oblivious to the noise around him . But he looked up from his slate , with his pencil suspended above an obstinate equation , to declaim with a flourish : `` Christmas comes but once a year , And then Mother wishes it was n't here . '' `` I do n't , then , '' said Gordon , son number two , who was preparing his own noon lunch of bread and molasses at the table , and making an atrocious mess of crumbs and sugary syrup over everything . `` I know one thing to be thankful for , and that is that there 'll be no school . We 'll have a whole week of holidays . '' Gordon was noted for his aversion to school and his affection for holidays . `` And we 're going to have turkey for dinner , '' declared Teddy , getting up off the floor and rushing to secure his share of bread and molasses , `` and cranb ` ry sauce and -- and -- pound cake ! Ai n't we , Ma ? '' `` No , you are not , '' said Mrs. Grant desperately , dropping the dishcloth and snatching the baby on her knee to wipe the crust of cinders and molasses from the chubby pink-and-white face . `` You may as well know it now , children , I 've kept it from you so far in hopes that something would turn up , but nothing has . We ca n't have any Christmas dinner tomorrow -- we ca n't afford it .
I 've pinched and saved every way I could for the last month , hoping that I 'd be able to get a turkey for you anyhow , but you 'll have XXXXX do without it .
around at for in of off over that though to