othes. So I want her to
have a new dress."

"You want her to have it at Christmas, then?"

"Yes, ma'am, if it won't be too much trouble."

"That is in two days. To-morrow, Sophia and I will buy the dress."

"Thank you. Here's the money," and Andy counted out six dollars in
bills, of which Miss Priscilla took charge.

The next day they fulfilled their commission, and purchased a fine
dress pattern at the village store. It cost rather more than six
dollars, but this they paid out of their own pockets, and did not
report to Andy. Just after supper, as he was about to go home to spend
Christmas Eve, they placed the bundle in his hands.

"Isn't it beautiful!" he exclaimed, with delight. "Won't mother be
glad to get it?"

"She'll think she has a good son, Andrew."

"Shure, I ought to be good to her, for she's a jewel of a mother."

"That is right, Andrew. I always like to hear a boy speak well of his
mother. It is a great pleasure to a mother to have a good son."

"Shure, ma'am," said Andy, with more kindness of heart than
discretion, "I hope you'll have one yourself."

"Just so," said Sophia, with the forced habit upon her.

"Sophia, you are a goose!" said Priscilla, blushing a little.

"Just so, Priscilla."

"We are too old to marry, Andrew," said Priscilla; "but we thank you
for your wish."

"Shure, ma'am, you are only in the prime of life."

"Just so," said Sophia, brightening up.

"I shall be sixty next spring. That can hardly be in the prime of
life."

"I was readin' of a lady that got married at seventy-nine, ma'am."

"Just so," said Sophia, eagerly.

Miss Priscilla did not care to pursue the subject.

"We have thought of you," she continued, "and, as you have been very
obliging, we have bought you a Christmas present. Here it is."

Andy no sooner saw the skates than his face brightened up with the
most evident satisfaction.

"It's just what I wanted," he said, joyfully. "They're regular
beauties! I'm ever so much obliged to you."

"Sophia wanted to get you a pair of spectacles, but I thought these
would suit you better."

Andy went off into a fit of laughter at the idea, in which both the
ladies joined him. Then, after thanking them again, he hurried home,
hardly knowing which gave him greater pleasure, his own present, or
his mother's.

I will not stop to describe Andy's Christmas, for this is only a
retrospect, but carry my reader forward to the next September, when
Andy met with a