the jewels
shine more brightly, and then their pretty forms were shown off by all
this ornament. As Mary was fancying herself in some fairy palace, or
in Aladdin's garden, and wondering whether there was any fruit made
of precious stones hanging on the trees, her papa and mamma came down
to breakfast, and they all enjoyed the sight together. Mary's pretty
cousin, Chrissy, who had been May-Queen on the first of May, was on a
visit at the cottage, and when she came down, she was delighted too
with the beautiful sight, and thought the branches like white coral
tipped with diamonds.

While they were at breakfast, Mary asked the question which she had
asked for several mornings past. It was, "Do you think Aunt Mary, and
Thomas, and Willie will come to-day?"

"I think it quite possible that they may," said her mamma; "but
to-morrow is more likely."

"You had better try not to expect them till to-morrow, Mary," said
Chrissy.

"I will _try_," said Mary, "but I think I do expect them to-day. And
now let me think how many days it is before Christmas Eve will come.
Yesterday we counted it was eleven days, so to-day it is ten. _Still_
ten days."

"But you know, Mary, we have plenty to do first," said her mamma. Mary
nodded and smiled.

Christmas Eve was the day they kept at the cottage; because Mary's
papa and mamma always spent Christmas Day with grandmamma. She lived
in a large old house, in a country town ten miles off. Everything in
her house was clean and shining; the rooms smelt very sweet, and
grandmamma was very kind, and let the children do whatever they liked;
and her two maids were so good-natured, and petted them; and there
were always such nice cakes, oranges, and jellies. Then, in the
evenings there was sure to be a magic lantern, or a man to play the
fiddle; in short, going to grandmamma's was a very great pleasure.

Mary now asked her papa to come down to the pond, and give her another
lesson in sliding. He came out, and as they ran along they found
numbers of things to admire. Every blade of grass was fringed with the
white frost-work, and the leaves of all the weeds that grew near the
hedges looked quite pretty with their new trimming. But, above all,
the mosses in the little wood that skirted the field were most lovely.
When winter strips the trees of their leaves, then the little bright
green mosses come and clothe the roots and stems, as if to do all they
can to comfort them; and to-day they were spa