many plans and promises for the next day,--the great, the blessed day of
the year. And now it was here! and oh, was it--could it really be
snowing?

Hildegarde listened, and heard a sound as of fairy hands beating softly
on the window-panes. It was growing lighter every moment, but the light
came through a soft, white dimness. Hildegarde ran to the window; the
ground was white, the dark branches of the evergreens were bending under
a weight of snow, and it was snowing still, not furiously, but in a
quiet, determined way, that meant business. Oh, joy! At last, the
longed-for winter had come! This ungrateful girl had already received
many favours from the Frost King; she had skated, she had had icicles to
eat, she had broken through the ice, and got a good wetting,--still she
was not content, but longed for snow; and now she had her heart's
desire.

"And we'll all go tobogganing,
Bog, bog, bogganing!"

she sang, as she dressed herself, stopping now and then to dance about
the room a little when she felt cold; for the morning was evidently
sharp, and the cold had got into the house in good earnest.

Running down-stairs, she found the breakfast-room warm and bright with a
crackling, leaping fire on the hearth. Mrs. Grahame was already down,
and her long, silent embrace was the first and best Christmas greeting.
Then it was "Merry Christmas!" and again "Merry Christmas!" as Auntie
came into the room, bringing the fragrant coffee, and the tray piled
high with good things.

"Oh, and the mail has come!" cried Hildegarde, fairly dancing round the
table to her place. "See, my love! Letters from everybody, heaps upon
heaps! Oh, what joy!"

There were greetings from all the distant friends, it seemed; from all
the good people at Bywood, from Rose and Doctor Flower, from the dear
old couple at Hartley's Glen.

"Oh, how good every one is!" cried Hildegarde. "And here is a
parcel--Mammina, what can this be? It looks like Aunt Emily's hand."

"It seems a desperate measure to propose," said Mrs. Grahame, "but I
_have_ heard of parcels being opened in such a case. I should not wish
to influence you--"

"Oh, my dear!" cried the girl, who had been acting on the suggestion,
and undoing the box tied carefully with floss silk. "My Respected
Parent, will you look at this?"

It was the prettiest watch, surely, that ever was seen, set with blue
enamel and pearls; and with it came a stately little note, assuring