eat, and the doctor can stand up in front of us and
drive. In old times it was considered the right thing for the driver
of the sleigh to stand up and do his drivin'."

The baggage was carefully stowed away, and, after a look around the
dimly lighted wagon-house, Miss Burroughs and Uncle Beamish got into
the sleigh, and I tucked the big fur robe around them.

"I hate to make a journey before breakfast," said Uncle Beamish, as I
was doing this, "especially on Christmas mornin', but somehow or other
there seems to be somethin' jolly about this business, and we won't
have to wait so long for breakfast, nuther. It can't be far from my
sister's, and we'll all stop there and have breakfast. Then you two
can leave me and go on. She'll be as glad to see any friends of mine
as if they were her own. And she'll be pretty sure, on a mornin' like
this, to have buckwheat cakes and sausages."

Miss Burroughs looked at the old man with a puzzled air, but she asked
him no questions.

"How are you going to keep yourself warm, Dr. Glover?" she said.

"Oh, this long ulster will be enough for me," I replied, "and as I
shall stand up, I could not use a robe, if we had another."

In fact, the thought of being with Miss Burroughs and the anticipation
of a sleigh-ride alone with her after we had left Uncle Beamish with
his sister, had put me into such a glow that I scarcely knew it was
cold weather.

"You'd better be keerful, doctor," said Uncle Beamish. "You don't want
to git rheumatism in your j'ints on this Christmas mornin'. Here's
this horse-blanket that we are settin' on. We don't need it, and you'd
better wrap it round you, after you git in, to keep your legs warm."

"Oh, do!" said Miss Burroughs. "It may look funny, but we will not
meet anybody so early as this."

"All right!" said I, "and now we are ready to start."

I slid back the barn door and then led the horse outside. Closing the
door, and making as little noise as possible in doing it, I got into
the sleigh, finding plenty of room to stand up in front of my
companions. Now I wrapped the horse-blanket about the lower part of my
body, and as I had no belt with which to secure it, Miss Burroughs
kindly offered to fasten it round my waist by means of a long pin which
she took from her hat. It is impossible to describe the exhilaration
that pervaded me as she performed this kindly office. After thanking
her warmly, I took the reins and we started.

"It is so