gifts--a nice new calico dress,
or a bright-colored hand-kerchief to each, accompanied by a paper of
confectionery.

They were received with bows and courtesies, broad grins of satisfaction,
and many repetitions of "Tank you, Miss Elsie! dese berry handsome--berry
nice, jes de ting for dis chile."

Mr. Dinsmore stood looking on highly gratified, and coming in for a share
of the thanks.

An hour or two later, Elsie's little pony, and her father's larger but
equally beautiful steed, were brought up to the door, and they rode down
to the quarter, followed by Jim and Bill, each carrying a good-sized
basket; and there a very similar scene was gone through with--Elsie
finishing up the business by showering sugar-plums into the outstretched
aprons of the little ones, laughing merrily at their eagerness, and
highly enjoying their delight.

She half wished for an instant, as she turned her horse's head to ride
away again, that she was one of them, so much did she want a share of the
candy, which her father refused to let her taste, saying it was not fit
for her when she was well, and much less now while she had yet hardly
recovered from severe illness.

But it was a lovely morning, the air pure and bracing, and everything
else was speedily forgotten in the pleasure of a brisk ride with her
father. They rode several miles, and on their return were overtaken
by Mr. Travilla, who remarked that Elsie had quite a color, and was
looking more like herself than he had seen her since her sickness. He was
on horseback, and his mother arrived a little later in the carriage,
having called at Roselands on the way, and picked up Adelaide. Lora did
not come, as she had accepted an invitation to spend the holidays at Mr.
Howard's, where a little girl about her own age, a cousin of Carry's,
from the North, was spending the winter.

Mr. Travilla put a beautiful little pearl ring on Elsie's finger, which
she gracefully thanked him for, and then showing it to her father, "See,
papa," she said, "how nicely it matches the bracelets."

"Yes, daughter, it is very pretty," he replied, "and one of these days,
when you are old enough to wear it, you shall have a pin to match."

Mrs. Travilla and Adelaide each gave her a handsome book--Adelaide's was
a beautifully bound Bible--and Elsie was delighted with all her presents,
and thought no little girl could be richer in Christmas gifts than
herself.

The day passed very pleasantly, for they were q