asion by Chloe and Dinah, and
when, a few days before Christmas, Metty returned from the woods with
a fine, fat possum, the mistress of Bellvieu began to feel that her
Christmas would be indeed complete.

A store of sweet potatoes had been laid by, and green apple,
pumpkin, potato and other pies made and stored in the cellar.

In the days of Aunt Betty's girlhood, when there were no cooking
stoves, turkeys were cooked in a turkey roaster made of sheet iron,
with a dripping-pan in the bottom and a large tin lid, much
resembling a buggy top, over the pan. When Mr. Turkey was stuffed and
otherwise prepared for the feast, he was spitted on an iron rod that
passed through the sides of the roaster and on through his body from
end to end. Then he was ready for the finishing touches over a
red-hot fire. The roasters had legs at each corner, so that hot
embers could be placed under it when necessary. The tin top reflected
the heat and had hinges so that it could be turned back when the cook
basted the turkey with a prepared sauce. The dripping-pan at the
bottom served to catch and hold the rich gravy.

As Aunt Betty stood now, watching the preparations for the roasting
of one of the turkeys, her thoughts traveled back to those other
days, and she marveled at the progress of civilization.

"Lawsee, Mis' Betty!" cried Chloe, as she stopped to wipe her hands
on her gingham apron. "We's gwine tuh hab 'nuff food in dis yere
house tuh feed er million people, looks like tuh me."

Aunt Betty laughed.

"Better too much than not enough," she observed. "I reckon there
won't be much left by the time New Year's Day has come and gone.
Gerald and Aurora Blank will be over for Christmas dinner, and will
drop in for occasional meals during holiday week. Then, with Miss
Molly and her father, and Herr and Frau Deichenberg, there will be a
nice little party here at home. Those boys, Jim and Len, have
appetites that will startle you. Oh, yes; we have lots to eat, Chloe,
but--well, you just watch it disappear!"

"Yas'm; we'll watch hit, all right, en I reckon, Mis' Betty, dat
Ephy, Dinah en me'll sort o' _help_ it disappear, too!"

Chloe, bending nearly double, guffawed loudly at her own joke.

Aunt Betty smiled, too, then went to the front of the house to meet
the carriage which had been sent to the train, with Dorothy and Jim
in it, to meet Judge Breckenridge and Molly.

Dorothy's chum waved her hand at Aunt Betty, then came hurrying up