with about twenty-seven
flourishes, the words, "For Willie," to his lips, and took a
long drink of milk, staring over the top of it at the cat the
whole time, but the blinking old tabby only dozed away with
one eye opened, and slapped her tail on the carpet as if to
say, "you'll find no _spell_ in me," so Willie put his mug
down, and drawing a long breath, lisped again, "But I _tant_."

"Well," said Lillie, a little provoked, "if you can't spell
'cat,' spell 'kitten:' that's _littler_."

This made a great laugh round the table, and finally Lillie had to
teach Willie how to spell this difficult word, and she repeated
the lesson so often, and so kindly, that before an hour, Willie
could spell "cat" just as well as Mr. Appleton himself! think of
that! and he (Willie, not Mr. Appleton) was so proud of his new
accomplishment, that he took an opportunity to run away, and his
nurse went hunting after him, and found that he had scrabbled
down the stairs backwards, which was _his_ way of getting _down_
in the world, (and I'm sure it is better than plunging headlong,
as some people do,) and trotted into the kitchen to teach the
cook and a little butcher boy who had just brought in the dinner,
to spell "cat," and asked her in return for this kindness, to
make him a "turnover pie," which you may be sure she did.

[Illustration: Willie teaching the Cook to spell Cat.]

A few days after this, the joyous Christmas came, the day on
which our blessed Saviour was born, when everybody ought to be
grateful and joyful, if they possibly can.

On this day, Annie, Lillie, and Willie were in perfect
ecstasies, so many kisses, and so many presents poured in
upon them, and all tokens of so much love; _that_ made the
charm.

Lillie, especially, was enchanted with two rings she received;
a pretty gold ring, and one of red cornelian. Only think! the
grandeur and dignity of two rings at once, on her little white
fingers! the very idea set her singing and skipping with joy.
"Dear me," she said, "two wedding rings! how delightful! I shall
begin a play 'mediately. Come, Annie and Willie, let's play I was
a grand lady dressed in two rings, coming to make you a visit."
Accordingly, Annie spread herself out as wide as she could, and
Willie, as he didn't happen to wear a hoop, concluded to spread
himself _up_ as high as he could, which he effected by putting on
a "sojer cap" with a long feather, and they sat up in state to
receive the company, and