the biggest tenants, seems lonely unless there are
children in the corners.

The Viauds sat silently gazing into the fire, with scarcely a word for
each other, scarcely a caress for faithful Prince. Indeed, the great dog
himself seemed to know that something was lacking, and every once in a
while would lift his head and whine wistfully.

In each of the two small windows burned a row of candles, flickering in
the draught that blew down the great chimney and swept through the little
chamber. And these, with the crackling blaze upon the hearth, sent queer
shadows quivering up the smoky walls.

Grandfather Viaud looked over his shoulder as a great gust blew the ashes
into the room. "Hey!" he cried. "I almost fancied the shadow of one
looking in at the window. Ha, ha! What foolishness! Eh! but it is a
fearsome storm. Pray the good Lord that there may be no poor creatures
wandering on the mountain this night."

"The Lord's birthday, too!" said Grandmother Bettine. "The dear little
Child has a cold way to come. Even He might become confused and be driven
to wander by such a whirl of snow. I am glad that we set the tapers there,
Josef, even though we be so far from the village street down which they
say He passes. How pleasant to think that one might give light to His
blessed feet if they were wandering from the way,--the dear little Child's
feet, so rosy and soft and tender!" And good Grandmother Viaud dropped a
tear upon her knitting; for she remembered many such little feet that had
once pattered about the cottage floor. Prince lifted his head and seemed
to listen, then whined as he had done before.

"You are lonely, old fellow, are you not?" quavered old Josef. "You are
waiting for the children to come back and make it merry, as it used to be
in the old days when you were a pup. Heigho! Those were pleasant days, but
they will never come again, Prince. We are all growing old, we three
together."

"Ah, peace, Josef, peace!" cried old Bettine, wiping her eyes again. "It
is lonely enough and sad enough, God knows, without speaking of it. What
use to sigh for that which cannot be? If the good Lord wished us to have a
comforter in our old age, doubtless He would send us one. He knows how we
have longed and prayed that a child's feet might echo through our house
once more: how we have hoped from year to year that one of the
grandchildren might return to bless us with his little presence." At this
moment Prince jumped to his