er seat. The door was opened, and Jake, the big
black coachman of the old doctor, made his appearance, a heavy cloak
and a large muffling hood hanging over his arm.

"Marm," said he, "it has clarred off beautiful, and massa has sent the
carriage arter you, and he says how he would have sent it afore, but
how the roads was blocked up with snowdrifts. Me and Pontius Pilate,
and Massa John, has been all the arternoon a clarring it away, and I
thinks, marm, if you don't come to-night, how the road will be as bad
as ever to-morrow morning, with this wind a-blowing about the snow.
Miss Lizzy has sent this hood of hern, and massa has sent this big
cloth cloak of hizzen, so that you needn't ketch cold."

Mrs. Dulan did not immediately reply, but looked at Willie, and seemed
to reflect.

Jake added:

"I hopes you'll come, marm, for massa and Miss Lizzy and Massa John
has quite set their heads on having you with them to spend Christmas,
and Massa John told me to tell you how he had bagged a fine passel of
waterfowl and wild turkeys, and I myself has made a trap for Massa
Willie to catch snowbirds."

"Yes, we will go," said Mrs. Dulan. "Do me the favor, Jacob, to pour a
pitcher of water on that fire, while I tie on Willie's cloak and
mittens."

In twenty minutes more, Willie was seated on his uncle's knees, by his
bright fireside, and his mother sat conversing with John and
Elizabeth, and a few neighbors whom the inclemency of the weather had
not deterred from dropping in to spend Christmas eve. The old
housekeeper stood at the buffet, cutting up seedcake, and pouring out
elder wine, which was soon passed round to the company.

That Christmas was a gorgeous morning. The sun arose and lit up into
flashing splendor the icy glories of the landscape. From every roof
and eave, from every bough and bush, dropped millions of blazing
jewels. Earth wore a gorgeous bridal dress, bedecked with diamonds.
Within the doctor's house everything was comfortable as you could
wish. A rousing fire of hickory wood roared upon the hearth, an
abundant breakfast of coffee, tea, buckwheat cakes, muffins, eggs,
wild fowls, oysters, etc., etc., smoked upon the board. The family
were all gathered in the breakfast-room. The doctor was serving out
eggnog from a capacious bowl upon the sideboard.

"Cousin Elizabeth," said little Willie, taking her hand and leading
her away to the sofa, "what do ladies love?"

"What do ladies love? Why, Willie, what