llers was cooked and eaten by
lamplight; then the horse and sleigh were brought to the door and Mr.
Ralston carried out his empty basket.

"I expect the trail will be heavy," he said, "but I guess we'd get to
Lindsay in time for dinner, anyway. Much obliged for your kindness,
Mr. Joseph. When you and Mrs. Joseph come to town we shall hope to
have a chance to return it. Good-bye and a merry Christmas to you
all."

When Mrs. Joseph went back to the kitchen her eyes fell on the
heaped-up table in the corner.

"Why-y!" she said, and snatched off the cover.

One look she gave, and then this funny little mother began to cry;
but they were happy tears. Mr. Joseph came too, and looked and
whistled.

There really seemed to be everything on that table that the hearts of
children could desire--three pairs of skates, a fur cap and collar, a
dainty workbasket, half a dozen gleaming new books, a writing desk, a
roll of stuff that looked like a new dress, a pair of fur-topped kid
gloves just Mollie's size, and a china cup and saucer. All these were
to be seen at the first glance; and in one corner of the table was a
big box filled with candies and nuts and raisins, and in the other a
doll with curling golden hair and brown eyes, dressed in "real"
clothes and with all her wardrobe in a trunk beside her. Pinned to her
dress was a leaf from Mr. Ralston's notebook with Maggie's name
written on it.

"Well, this is Christmas with a vengeance," said Mr. Joseph.

"The children will go wild with delight," said his wife happily.

They pretty nearly did when they all came scrambling down the stairs a
little later. Such a Christmas had never been known in the Joseph
household before. Maggie clasped her doll with shining eyes, Mollie
looked at the workbasket that her housewifely little heart had always
longed for, studious Jimmy beamed over the books, and Ted and Hal
whooped with delight over the skates. And as for the big box of good
things, why, everybody appreciated that. That Christmas was one to
date from in that family.

I'm glad to be able to say, too, that even in the heyday of their
delight and surprise over their wonderful presents, the little Josephs
did not forget to appreciate the gifts they had prepared for each
other. Mollie thought her calendar just too pretty for anything, and
Jimmy was sure the new red mittens which Maggie had knitted for him
with her own chubby wee fingers, were the very nicest, gayest mittens
a boy