rried the village girl.

Mrs. Bixbee was grand in black silk and lace collar fastened with a
shell-cameo pin not quite as large as a saucer, and John caught the
sparkle of a diamond on her plump left hand--David's Christmas
gift--with regard to which she had spoken apologetically to Mrs. Cullom:

"I told David that I was ever so much obliged to him, but I didn't want
a dimun' more'n a cat wanted a flag, an' I thought it was jes' throwin'
away money. But he would have it--said I c'd sell it an' keep out the
poor-house some day, mebbe."

David had not made much change in his usual raiment, but he was shaved
to the blood, and his round red face shone with soap and satisfaction.
As he tucked his napkin into his shirt collar, Sairy brought in the
tureen of oyster soup, and he remarked, as he took his first spoonful of
the stew, that he was "hungry 'nough t' eat a graven imidge," a
condition that John was able to sympathize with after his two days of
fasting on crackers and such provisions as he could buy at Purse's. It
was, on the whole, he reflected, the most enjoyable dinner that he ever
ate. Never was such a turkey; and to see it give way under David's
skillful knife--wings, drumsticks, second joints, side bones,
breast--was an elevating and memorable experience. And such potatoes,
mashed in cream; such boiled onions, turnips, Hubbard squash, succotash,
stewed tomatoes, celery, cranberries, "currant jell!" Oh! and to "top
off" with, a mince pie to die for and a pudding (new to John, but just
you try it some time) of steamed Indian meal and fruit, with a sauce of
cream sweetened with shaved maple sugar.

"What'll you have?" said David to Mrs. Cullom, "dark meat? white meat?"

"Anything," she replied meekly, "I'm not partic'ler. Most any part of a
turkey 'll taste good, I guess."

"All right," said David. "Don't care means a little o' both. I alwus
know what to give Polly--piece o' the second jint an' the
last-thing-over-the-fence. Nice 'n rich fer scraggly folks," he
remarked. "How fer you, John?--little o' both, eh?" and he heaped the
plate till our friend begged him to keep something for himself.

"Little too much is jes' right," he asserted.

When David had filled the plates and handed them along--Sairy was for
bringing in and taking out; they did their own helping to vegetables and
"passin'"--he hesitated a moment, and then got out of his chair and
started in the direction of the kitchen door.

"What's the ma