pies, of the nuts and candies, of the big dishes of cranberry
sauce, and the plum pudding that Dinah carried in high above her
head--I am afraid if I told you of all these things there would be
trouble.

For I am sure you would all be writing to me to ask where the Bobbseys
lived, so that you might go and see them, and perhaps spend Christmas
with them. Not that they would not be glad to have you, but they have
so many friends that their house is sure to be filled over the holidays.

So I will simply say that there was the grandest time ever, and let it
go at that.

Uncle and Aunt Bobbsey--Uncle and Aunt Minturn, from the country and
seashore, came, with Cousin Dorothy and Cousin Harry then, also, Hal
Bingham arrived, and the Bobbsey twins took great delight in showing
their former playmates about Lakeport.

"Isn't it lonesome at the seashore now?" asked Nan of Dorothy, as she
walked with her cousin about the busy streets of the town.

"Not at all," answered Dorothy. "The sea is never lonesome for me. It
always seems to be telling me something, Winter or Summer.

"I love it in the Summer," said Nan, "but in the Winter it seems so
cold and cruel."

"That is because you do not know it as well as I do," said Dorothy.

Hal, Harry, and Bert had fine times together. There was no skating,
and the little flurry of snow there had been was not enough for
coasting, but they had other fun.

"Do your ducks miss our duck Downy?" asked Freddie of his cousin Harry.

"Well, I guess they do," was the laughing answer, for Freddie and
Flossie had a pet duck which they took about with them almost as
faithfully as they did Snoop. "How is Downy, anyhow?" asked Harry.

"He's fine," answered the little fellow. "Want to see him?" and he
took his cousin out to the barn where Downy had a pen all to himself.

"Snoop's gone," said Freddie, "and so is our silver cup, but maybe
we'll get that back. It's in a circus."

"In a circus!" cried Harry. "I should think your cat might be in a
circus, but not a silver cup."

"We don't know where Snoop is," went on Freddie, "'cause he got away at
the time of the circus wreck," and he explained about it. "But we are
almost sure the circus fat lady has our cup."

The Thanksgiving holidays came to an end at last and, much to the
regret of the Bobbseys, their visitors, old and young, had to go back
to their homes.

"But you'll come again at Christmas, won't you?" asked Flossie as she
sai