ter success. It really appeared that some of the most
persistent features of Captain Gordon's illness were yielding, perhaps,
to the treatment--at any rate, the beloved invalid was better, and the
leaden weight of apprehension, which had so burdened the hearts of each
one of them, was disappearing and a wonderful joy was taking its place.

A white-winged, invisible guest had arrived, before time, to spend the
Christmastide with them. It was the Angel of Hope, sent by the pitying
hand of the Father in Heaven, and with it came peace, joy, love, and
merriment.

What a host of Christmas cards came in, on the morning mail, just
preceding Christmas Day. Little Alsie was almost wild to begin work on
the pie. After breakfast, Aunt Alice said calmly, "Alsie, come with me,
for I have an important errand, and would like to have company."

"O, Auntee, how _can_ you be so composed when there's such a big pile
of bundles in your bedroom closet, and have you seen the lovely palm
sent to grandfather by the members of his literary club? It's a beauty,
and so big that it looks almost like a small tree!"

They wended their way to Alice's room, and locked the door. Going to the
closet, Alice brought forth the largest round hat-box that any of them
had ever seen. It must have been two feet or more in diameter, but it
was only seven or eight inches high.

The Christmas paper was next brought out, and what a wonderful variety
there was--Santa Claus, in all phases of his yearly trip, was pictured
on some rolls, while festoons of holly and ribbon were outlined against
a background of white on others.

After considerable discussion and comparing of effects, it was finally
decided that the outside crust of the pie should be of white paper,
decorated in holly and ribbon, so the needles and pastepot were both
used in preparing the lower portion of the box. The top was treated in
an entirely different fashion. It was covered over with the whitest of
white cotton batting, and the glistening little sleigh was securely
fastened to the center of the top. Fragments of the cotton fell over the
edges, and when Alice sprinkled over this, the "diamond dust," it looked
as if real icicles were dropping from a bank of glistening snow.

"Auntee, it's the prettiest thing I've ever seen!" exclaimed Alsie
enthusiastically, after the lining had been neatly pasted in.

Then began the work of fixing up the packages to fill the pie. Aunt
Bettie's contribution w