And then one evening it just came to me , without any thinking at all , and I knew that I could give some gifts after all . I thought of something new every day for a week . At first I did n't think I could give some of them , and then I thought how selfish I was . I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it , but I was n't willing to pay what I had . I got over that , though , Aunt Emmy . Now I 'm going to tell you what I did give . `` First , there was my teacher , Miss Mitchell . I gave her one of father 's books . I have so many of his , you know , so that I would n't miss one ; but still it was one I loved very much , and so I felt that that love made it worth while . That is , I felt that on second thought . At first , Aunt Emmy , I thought I would be ashamed to offer Miss Mitchell a shabby old book , worn with much reading and all marked over with father 's notes and pencillings . I was afraid she would think it queer of me to give her such a present . And yet somehow it seemed to me that it was better than something brand new and unmellowed -- that old book which father had loved and which I loved . So I gave it to her , and she understood . I think it pleased her so much , the real meaning in it . She said it was like being given something out of another 's heart and life . `` Then you know Mrs. Martin ... last year she was Miss Hope , my dear Sunday School teacher . She married a home missionary , and they are in a lonely part of the west . Well , I wrote her a letter . Not just an ordinary letter ; dear me , no .
I took a whole day XXXXX write it , and you should have seen the postmistress 's eyes stick out when I mailed it .
At So after for in of over to with without