s name. _Should_ have one parson in a large family,
eh?"

Here Mrs Wag could no longer refrain from giving vent to her
overcharged feelings by certain incoherent ejaculations, which
terminated in a flood of tears.

"Humph!" said the old gentleman, "my spectacles want wiping;" and he
took the opportunity of rubbing them and blowing his nose, while
Jeremiah was comforting the wife of his bosom, and telling her not to
be so foolish, although he could scarcely avoid snivelling himself.

"Hem! ahem!" resumed their guest; "think I've got some of the
mince-pie sticking in my throat. Stupid old fellow to eat so much,
eh?"

"Better take another glass of wine, sir," said Jeremiah. "Give me
leave, sir, to pour it out."

"No, no!" exclaimed Mrs Wag, starting up and smiling through her
tears, "let me! Nobody else! God bless you, sir!"

"And you, too!" ejaculated the old gentleman gaily; "come, that's a
challenge! Glasses round! and then we must say, good-night. Don't let
us make a dull end of a merry evening."

Warm benedictions were forthwith uttered, and the "compliments of the
season" were wished, with more than common sincerity, by all three, as
their glasses met jingling together. Then, the whimsical guest tossed
off his wine, jumped up, shook his hosts heartily by the hand, wished
them good-night, and sallied into the shop to find his cloak. Mr and
Mrs Wag followed, and expressed a hope that he would honour their
Christmas dinner by his presence on the following day; but all they
could draw from him was--"Can't promise. Ate and drank a little too
much to-night, perhaps. Getting shockingly old. See how I am in the
morning. Enjoyed myself this evening. A jolly set of Wags altogether!
Merry Wags all, eh?--young and old. Well, well, wag along happily, my
dear Mr and Mrs Wag! Good-night!" And after once more shaking hands
with them, he nimbly whisked himself out at the shop-door, and trotted
across to the King's Arms.

No sooner were the worthy couple alone than curiosity led them to
examine the piece of paper which their benefactor had presented to
Jeremiah for the purpose of lighting his pipe, and it proved to be the
promissory note which the latter had signed for the first thousand
pounds. The donor's intention was plain enough, as it was regularly
cancelled, so Mrs Wag was obliged to use her pocket-handkerchief once
more; and her spouse, after striding three or four times rapidly
across the room, felt himself also un