ng his voice to begin an endless
discourse, and he angrily closes the book which he had but just opened.
The present editor, indeed, of the wonderful tale of Master Flea,
thinks this beginning a very good beginning, not to say the best for
every history, on which account the most excellent story-tellers that
are, namely, nurses, old women, &c. have at all times made use of it;
but as every author writes chiefly to be read, he,--that is, the
aforesaid editor,--will not at any rate deprive the kind reader of the
pleasure of actually being his reader. He tells him therefore at once,
without more circumlocution, that this same Peregrine Tyss, of whose
strange adventures this history is to treat, had never, on any
Christmas evening, felt his heart so throb with anxious joyful
expectation, as precisely on that with which begins the narration of
his adventures.

Peregrine was in a dark chamber, next the show-room in which he was
wont to receive his Christmas-box. There he crept gently up and down,
listened a little at the door, and then seated himself quietly in a
corner, and with shut eyes inhaled the mystic odours of the marchpane
and gingerbread which streamed from the sanctuary. Then, again, there
would shoot through him a sweet mysterious thrill when, on suddenly
re-opening them, he was dazzled by the vivid beams of light which fell
through the crevices of the door, and danced hither and thither upon
the wall.

At length sounded the little silver bell,--the chamber door was flung
open, and in rushed Peregrine, amidst a whole fire-flood of variegated
Christmas lights. Quite petrified, he remained standing at the table,
on which the finest gifts were arranged in the most handsome order, and
only a loud "oh!" forced itself from his breast. Never before had the
Christmas tree borne such splendid fruits, for every sweetmeat that can
be named, and amongst them many a golden nut, many a golden apple from
the garden of the Hesperides hung upon the boughs, which bent beneath
their burthen. The provision of choicest playthings, fine leaden
soldiers, hunting trains of the same, picture-books, &c. is not to be
told. But as yet he did not venture to touch any part of the wealth
presented to him; he could only occupy himself in mastering his wonder,
and comprehending the idea of his good fortune in all this being really
his.

"O my dear parents! O my good Alina!"--so he exclaimed, with feelings
of the highest transport.

"Well, m