as an alien.

Jack, whose shoes were not yet worn out, went to Sunday-school, and
after his return the winter day was soon gone. Then he began to fidget,
and was very desirous that his mother should put the little girls to
bed; while, strange to say, his father was desirous that the whole
family should go to bed, except himself. In course of time the little
girls were asleep in their trundle bed, with their little red stockings
hanging behind the door. Mr. Boyd sat with his back to the door, so
Jack slipped in his presents without his father's seeing him, and went
to his cold bed upstairs.

"Aint you going to hang up your stocking, mother?" asked Mr. Boyd after
Jack had gone.

Mrs. Boyd looked startled.

"Why, no," she answered, hesitatingly, not knowing whether the question
was asked in irony or in earnest.

"You better," said Mr. Boyd, going to the bag in the corner, and
beginning to untie the strings.

He laid out package after package on the floor. His wife knelt down by
them in a maze of astonishment. Then, with a great deal of enjoyment,
Mr. Boyd untied them one by one, showing candy, nuts, oranges, shoes,
and all the rest, except the calico dress, which he kept out of sight.

Aladdin felt very fine when he found the cave-full of precious stones,
but I don't believe he was much happier than Mrs. Boyd. Her eyes were
so full of tears that there seemed to be about eight pairs of shoes,
ten bags, and half a dozen Mr. Boyds; but she managed to lay hands on
the real one, and him she embraced fervently. Then she brought out the
cookies and sugar balls she had made, and said to her husband, in a
very shame-faced way:

"See my poor presents; I didn't know the children would have anything
nice, and I made these. I guess I wont put 'em in their stockings
though, now."

But Mr. Boyd insisted on their going in with the other things, and I
think they were prized by the children a little more dearly, if such a
thing could be possible, than those which they called their "boughten"
presents.

Now, I can't begin to describe the joyful time they had the next
morning, and particularly, the utter astonishment of Jack, who didn't
expect a thing, and hadn't even hung up a stocking. When that devoted
boy recognized one of his own gray socks crammed full of knobs and
bunches, with a beautiful plush cap on top, he was almost out of his
wits. Likewise, Mrs. Boyd's surprise was great at the discovery of her
new dress. The littl