hand and pouring out with the other, supplied
Father Christmas's wants with a heavy heart.

"At last he was satisfied. I said grace, during which he stood, and
indeed he stood for some time afterwards with his eyes shut--I fancy
under the impression that I was still speaking. He had just said a
fervent 'Amen,' and reseated himself, when my father put his head into
the kitchen, and made this remarkable statement--

"'Old Father Christmas has sent a tree to the young people.'

"Patty and I uttered a cry of delight, and we forthwith danced round
the old man, saying, 'Oh, how nice! Oh, how kind of you!' which I
think must have bewildered him, but he only smiled and nodded.

"'Come along,' said my father. 'Come, children. Come, Reuben. Come,
Kitty.'

"And he went into the parlour, and we all followed him.

"My godmother's picture of a Christmas-tree was very pretty; and the
flames of the candles were so naturally done in red and yellow, that I
always wondered that they did not shine at night. But the picture was
nothing to the reality. We had been sitting almost in the dark, for,
as Kitty said, 'Firelight was quite enough to burn at meal-times.' And
when the parlour door was thrown open, and the tree, with lighted
tapers on all the branches, burst upon our view, the blaze was
dazzling, and threw such a glory round the little gifts, and the bags
of coloured muslin with acid drops, and pink rose drops, and comfits
inside, as I shall never forget. We all got something; and Patty and
I, at any rate, believed that the things came from the stores of Old
Father Christmas. We were not undeceived even by his gratefully
accepting a bundle of old clothes which had been hastily put together
to form his present.

"We were all very happy; even Kitty, I think, though she kept her
sleeves rolled up, and seemed rather to grudge enjoying herself (a
weak point in some energetic characters). She went back to her oven
before the lights were out, and the angel on the top of the tree taken
down. She locked up her present (a little work-box) at once. She often
showed it off afterwards, but it was kept in the same bit of
tissue-paper till she died. Our presents certainly did not last so
long!

"The old man died about a week afterwards, so we never made his
acquaintance as a common personage. When he was buried, his little dog
came to us. I suppose he remembered the hospitality he had received.
Patty adopted him, and he was very faithful.