Read "Alice's Christmas-Tree" by Edward Everett Hale online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
Perhaps the reader is willing to take another point of view.
As the group stood there, talking over the riot as Mrs. MacNeil called it, -- as John Flagg tried to make Alice laugh by bringing her a half-piece of frosted pound-cake, and proving to her that it had not been on the floor, -- as she said, her eyes streaming with tears, "I tell you, John! I am a fool, and I know I am, and nobody but a fool would have started such a row," -- as all this happened, Patrick Crehore came back for his little sister's orange which he had wrapped in her handkerchief and left on one of the book-racks in the room. Patrick was alone now, and was therefore sheepish enough, and got himself and his orange out of the room as soon as he well could. But he was sharp enough to note the whole position, and keen enough to catch Alice's words as she spoke to Mr. Flagg.