eplied Violet; "but he thought his duty called him to the other
places; and I think my good husband never fails to go where duty calls.
We talked it over and concluded that the best plan we could hit upon was
for me to stay at home and see to this work, while he should take his
children and assist at the decoration of the school-houses."

"To secure you an opportunity to prepare a pleasant surprise for them,"
supplemented Harold.

Their work was finished, its results surveyed with satisfaction, and the
door of the room closed and locked upon it, before the return of the
carriage bringing Capt. Raymond and his merry, happy little flock.

Dinner filled up the greater part of the interval between their
home-coming and return to the school-house on the corner of the estate,
to witness the distribution of gifts to the poor whites of the
neighborhood; and by a little management on the part of their father,
Violet and her brothers, they were kept from the vicinity of the room
where the Christmas tree stood, and got no hint of its existence.

Their thoughts were full of the doings of the morning and the coming
events of the afternoon, and their tongues ran fast on the two subjects.
Their father had to remind them once or twice that older people must be
allowed a chance to talk as well as themselves; but his tone was not
stern, and the slight reproof, though sufficient to produce the desired
effect, threw no damper upon their youthful spirits.

They were in the carriage again soon after leaving the table, Violet
with them this time, Harold and Herbert riding on horseback alongside of
the vehicle, for they desired a share in witnessing the bestowal of the
gifts.

They found teacher and pupils there before them; every face bright with
pleasurable anticipation.

The Jones children, whose mother had died the year before, and who had
continued to find a good friend in Capt. Raymond, were among the number.

Grandma Elsie, Zoe, Rosie, Walter and Evelyn Leland arrived in a body
soon after the Woodburn family, and then the exercises began.

The captain offered a short prayer, and made a little address
appropriate to the occasion; teacher and scholars sang a hymn, a
Christmas carol; then the tree was unveiled amid murmurs of admiration
and delight, and the distribution of the gifts began.

Every child received a suit of warm, comfortable clothes, a book, a bag
of candy, a sandwich or two, some cakes and fruit.

The tree was hu