study was a kind of conglomerate. He had
a cabinet of coins from different parts of the world and curios from
India and Egypt. Napoleon's campaign in Egypt had awakened a good deal
of interest in the country of the Pharaohs.

Doris was so still he glanced around presently. She was curled up in the
corner of the chimney, a book on her knees and her head bent over until
the curls fell about her in a cloud. When Elizabeth had spoken of the
benefit it might be to a growing child to have them cut he had protested
at once. They were rarely beautiful, he decided now, gleaming gold in
the firelight.

She had a feeling presently that someone was looking at her, so she
raised her head, shook away the curls, and smiled.

"Did you find something?"

"'The Vicar of Wakefield,' Uncle Winthrop. Oh, it is delightful! You
said I might read anything!" with a touch of hesitation.

"That was quite a wide permission," and he smiled. He couldn't see how
that would hurt anyone, but he was not sure of a girl's reading.

"I opened it at a picture--'Preparing Moses for the Fair.' It made me
think of Betty going to Hartford. It was so interesting to wonder what
you would do, and then to have things happen just right. Aunt Priscilla
was so nice. I thought I couldn't like her at first, but I do now. You
can't find out all about anyone in a minute, can you?"

"I think not," rather humorously.

"So then I turned to the first of the book. And the Vicar's wife must
have known a good deal to read without much spelling. There are some
awful hard words in the back of Betty's spelling book. Do you suppose
she learned tables and all that?"

"I don't believe she did."

"And she could keep house."

"They were a notable couple."

He took up his pen again and she turned to her book.

Suddenly a flood of golden sunshine poured across the floor, fairly
dimming the fire.

"Oh, Uncle Winthrop!" With her book pressed tightly against her body,
she flew over to the window like a bird, disturbing nothing, and making
only a soft flutter.

"Isn't it glorious!"

The edges of the snow everywhere were illumined with the prismatic rays
in proper order. The tree branches caught them, the corners of the
houses, the window hoods, the straggling bushes, the fences. Everywhere
the sublime beauty was repeated until everything quivered with the
excess.

"It is like the New Jerusalem," she said.

The air had softened a great deal. The sun on the window panes s