by their child's couch for
family worship that Christmas eve, and there was an unwonted happiness
in their hearts when they went to their night's rest.

XIV

THE SHADOW OF DEATH

The kettle was singing merrily on the stove, and Mrs. Gray was setting
the breakfast table, when Emily awoke on Christmas morning. Her father
was just coming in from out-of-doors bringing a breath of the fresh
winter air with him.

"A Merry Christmas," he called to her. "A Merry Christmas t' my maid!"

"And did Santa Claus come?" she asked, looking around expectantly.

"Santa Claus? There now!" he exclaimed, "an' has th' old rascal been
forgettin' t' come again? Has you seen any signs o' Santa Claus bein'
here?" he asked of Mrs. Gray, as though thinking of it for the first
time. Then, turning towards the wall back of the stove, he exclaimed,
"Ah! Ah! an' what's _this_?"

Emily looked, and there, sitting upon the shelf, was a doll!

"Oh! Oh, th' dear little thing!" she cried. "Oh, let me have un!"

Mrs. Gray took it down and handed it to her, and she hugged it to her
in an ecstasy of delight. Then she held it off and looked at it, and
hugged again, and for very joy she wept. It was only a poor little rag
doll with face and hair grotesquely painted upon the cloth, and
dressed in printed calico--but it was a doll--a _real_ one--the first
that Emily had ever owned. It had been the dream of her life that some
day she might have one, and now the dream was a blessed reality. Her
happiness was quite beyond expression as she lay there on her bed that
Christmas morning pressing the doll to her breast and crying. Poverty
has its seasons of recompense that more than counterbalance all the
pleasures that wealth can buy, and this was one of those seasons for
the family of Richard Gray.

Presently Emily stopped crying, and through the tears came laughter,
and she held the toy out for her father and mother to take and examine
and admire.

A little later Mrs. Gray came from the closet holding a mysterious
package in her hand.

"Now what be _this_? 'Twere in th' closet an' looks like somethin'
more Santa Claus were leavin'."

"Well now!" exclaimed Richard, "what may _that_ be? Open un an' we'll
see."

An investigation of its contents revealed a couple of pounds of sugar,
some currants, raisins and a small can of butter.

"Santa Claus were wantin' us t' have a plum puddin' _I'm_ thinkin',"
said Mrs. Gray, as she examined each article