d Christmas greeting, was
beside it.

"What do you think of your friend now, Livy?"

But Olivia seemed to have no answer ready, her lips trembled, and the
tears gathered in her bright eyes. Marcus, who was almost as pleased
as she was, patted her on the shoulder kindly, and bade her pour out
the coffee, but for a long time Olivia could not be induced to go on
with her breakfast.

"If only I could take it to show Aunt Madge!" she said at last. But
Marcus negatived this at once; the picture was heavy, and the damp,
cold air might injure it.

That was a happy morning to Olivia, as she played with Dot, and then
sang her to sleep. When Marcus came home he told her to wrap up as
warmly as possible. "The damp quite gets into one's bones," he said;
and even Olivia owned that it was disagreeably cold.

Aunt Madge received them with her usual kind welcome, but she looked at
her niece with a queer expression.

"Livy," she said, "I feel as though I were living in the days of
Aladdin and his wonderful lamp. I had to pinch myself this morning, to
be sure I was not dreaming. What do you think our dear old magician
has done now?" And as she pointed to the table beside her, Olivia saw
the picture of the ruined church, and the old shepherd in his tattered
smock. "'Tis a love token, I reckon," repeated Aunt Madge, but her
voice was not quite steady. As for Olivia, the tears were fairly
running down her face.

"Dear Aunt Madge, I do love him for this. What do you think, he has
sent me the picture of the cornfield that I described to you, and such
a hamper of good things!"

"Yes, and a brace of pheasants have come to me. Livy, do you know what
that picture means to me? I have just been feasting my eyes on it all
the morning. I mean to get an easel and stand it at the foot of my
couch, with that Indian scarf of mine just draped over it; won't it
cheer me up on one of my bad days when I can't read or work, and even
thinking is too hard for my poor head? ''Tis a love token, I reckon,'
I shall just say that to myself."

"Marcus, I shall have to pay that visit," observed Olivia, desperately.
"Oh, dear, if only we could do something in return for him! Don't
laugh at me, you tiresome boy; it is all very well for you, you are
doing him a good turn every day, that is why it is so grand to be a
doctor, but Aunt Madge and I want to have our share too."

"Take off your hat, Livy," interrupted Aunt Madge, "for I hear Deb
dis