reens, and bouquets of hot-house flowers adorned the table, filling
the air with delicious fragrance.

When the meal was over, all adjourned to the parlor usually occupied by
them when not entertaining company. This, too, they found trimmed with
evergreens, and while the children were looking about and commenting upon
the taste displayed in their arrangement, the folding doors communicating
with another parlor were suddenly thrown open, disclosing the grand
achievement of the afternoon--the beautiful Christmas tree--tall,
wide-spreading, glittering with lights and tinsel ornaments, gorgeous with
gay colors, and every branch loaded down with gifts.

It was greeted with a burst of admiration and applause.

"What a beauty!" cried Rosie and Lulu, clapping their hands.

"And how large!" exclaimed Max, "three times as big as any I ever saw
before."

Walter and Gracie were no less enthusiastic in their admiration. "May we
go close up, mamma?" asked the latter.

"Yes, 'course we may," said Walter, seizing her hand, "we'll walk round it
and look hard at the things, but not touch 'em."

Older people followed the lead of the little ones, and the tree was
thoroughly examined by many pairs of eyes, gazed at from every point of
view, and highly extolled, before the work of despoiling it was begun.

The gifts were far too many to mention in detail. The older people seemed
much pleased with some easels, brackets, and picture-frames carved for
them by Max and Lulu, and with specimens of Zoe's and Rosie's handiwork in
another line; also with some little gems of art from the pencils or
brushes of Lester, Elsie, and Violet, while the children were made happy
with presents suited to the years and taste of each.

Lulu was almost wild with delight over a set of pink coral, as nearly like
that she had lost by her misconduct some months before, as Grandma Elsie
had been able to find.

Then there was a beautiful, thoroughly furnished work-box from Mamma Vi,
with "actually a gold thimble in it," to encourage her in learning to sew.
One for Gracie also exactly like it, except that Lulu's was lined with red
satin and Gracie's with blue. Each had beside a new doll with a neat
little trunk packed full of clothes made to fit it, and a box filled with
pretty things to make up into doll clothes.

Max was greatly surprised and delighted by finding himself the possessor
of a watch, doubly valuable to him as his father's gift.

The gold thimbl