o choose the Tree--a most important
performance, as we wanted the real pyramid "sapin," tapering off to a
fine point at the top. Labbey (keeper) told us his young son and the
coachman's son had been all the morning in the woods getting enormous
branches of pine, holly, and ivy, which we would find at the church. We
came across various old women making up their bundles of fagots and dead
wood (they are always allowed to come once a week to pick up the dead
wood, under the keeper's surveillance). They were principally from
Louvry and St. Quentin, and were staggering along, carrying quite heavy
bundles on their poor old bent backs. However, they were very smiling
to-day, and I think the burden was lightened by the thought of the
morrow. We found a fine tree, which was installed with some difficulty
in the donkey-cart; Francis and Alice taking turns driving, perched on
the trunk of the tree, and Labbey walking behind, supporting the top
branches.

We found the boys at the church, having already begun their
decorations--enormous, high pine branches ranged all along the wall, and
trails of ivy on the windows. The maids had arrived in the carriage,
bringing the new red carpet, vases, candelabras and tall candlesticks,
also two splendid wax candles painted and decorated, which Gertrude
Schuyler had brought us from Italy; all the flowers the gardener would
give them, principally chrysanthemums and Christmas roses. It seems he
wasn't at all well disposed; couldn't imagine why "ces dames" wanted to
despoil the green-houses "pour ce petit trou de St. Quentin."

We all worked hard for about an hour, and the little church looked quite
transformed. The red carpet covered all the worn, dirty places on the
altar steps, and the pine branches were so high and so thick that the
walls almost disappeared. When the old woman (gardienne) appeared she
was speechless with delight! As soon as we had finished there, we
adjourned to the school-house, and to our joy snow was falling--quite
heavy flakes. Madame Isidore turned all the children into a small room,
and we proceeded to set up our Tree. It was a great deal too tall, and
if we hadn't been there they would certainly have chopped it off at the
top, quite spoiling our beautiful point; but as we insisted, they cut
away from the bottom, and it really was the regular pyramid one always
wants for a Christmas Tree. We put it in a big green case (which we had
obtained with great difficulty from the