d for Janey, with a remarkably plump bill, and a little girl for
Mary, with the toes turned out. She also made some balls of brown sugar
(the Boyds never thought of such a luxury as white sugar), to make
believe candy, for she didn't know Jack had bought any candy.

Now I am going to tell what Mr. Boyd did after he met Jack by the
toy-store. He had gone to the village to have a "good time." That
didn't mean, as it does with some men, to get tipsy; but it meant he
was going to Munger's grocery, where he could meet people, and talk and
joke, and keep warm.

Mr. Boyd had been chopping wood for a farmer, and had received his pay;
but instead of going dutifully home and consulting with his wife about
what he should buy, he was going to "look around" and see what Munger
had. He was touched at the sight of Jack's poor little package of
gifts, but I doubt if it would have made much impression on his mind if
somebody hadn't walked in to Munger's and asked in a brisk, loud voice:
"Got any Brazil nuts, Munger?"

The man with the brisk voice bought I don't know how many quarts of
Brazil nuts, and walnuts, and filberts, and almonds, with all the
loungers looking on, very much interested in the spectacle. Then he
bought raisins, and candy, and oranges, Mr. Munger growing more smiling
every minute.

"Going to keep Christmas, I guess," said he, rubbing his hands
together.

"That I am; 'Christmas comes but once a year,' and there are little
folks up at our house who've been looking for it with all their eyes
for a fortnight."

Then he bought a bushel of apples, and, filling a peck measure with
them, passed them around among the men who sat and stood about the
stove.

"Take 'em home to your little folks if you don't want 'em," he said,
when any one hesitated.

There were three or four apples apiece, and Mr. Boyd put all his in his
pockets, with a slight feeling of Christmas warmth beginning to thaw
his heart.

After this cheery purchaser had gone, some one asked: "Who is that
chap?"

"He's the new superintendent of the Orphant Asylum," answered Mr.
Munger, rubbing his hands again; "and a mighty nice man he is, too.
Pays for all them things out of his own pocket. Very fond of children.
Always likes to see 'em happy."

There were two or three men around that stove who hung their heads, and
Mr. Boyd was one of them. He hung his the lowest, perhaps because he
had the longest neck. I don't know what the other men did,--somethi