offering to the ranchos its assistance to carry their abundant produce
to a market, the marshes were red with short-growing sorrel, and the
dark green of the tules along the edges fringed the silver indentations
of the water in harmonious contrast.

All this did Jovita and Crescimir see from the veranda of Tulucay as
with the Christchild by them they talked of the strange discovery and
first sudden birth of their love, of how Jovita had first left the
flowers at his door and how he had longed so much to know the one, the
only one who had cheered his loneliness, and how he had loved the donor
even before he had known that it was she.

Then they would talk of the terrible flood which had brought them
together, and how each knew the other's love the moment their eyes had
met, and of the mysterious little child who had been the medium of
their first lovers' kiss.

They had become quite accustomed to the little elf's strange ways, and
he no longer seemed to them to be the half supernatural creature he had
at first appeared. Jovita's mother had at last discovered, she was sure,
that the mysterious frock was nothing more nor less remarkable than a
kind of goat hair woven carefully and fine.

So thus was the little elfin Christchild resolved by the power of
familiarity into the orphan of some German emigrants who had lost their
lives in the great flood; nevertheless, strangers never passed him
without giving a second glance and never heard him sing in his sweet,
odd tones, without wondering.

Crescimir and Jovita were married at Tulucay on the day before Christmas
and walked over the fields to the new house on the knoll by the laurel
tree, the Christchild going with them.

He had decorated his head and frock with blossoms of early mariposas
(calochortus) in honour of the occasion, and his joy seemed
uncontrollable and he skipped over the meadow scarcely seeming to tread
upon the ground.

There was a bright fire in the cottage when they reached it; the fire
was in an open fireplace similar to that which had been in the old
cabin.

As they entered, the Christchild, running up to the hearth, pointed to
the chimney piece, and then turning to Crescimir with a look which could
not be misunderstood, began in his odd notes to sing.

Crescimir then first noticed that there was no hemlock branch above the
hearth, so taking one from the other side of the room where they hung in
festoons, he fastened it with a bunch of toyone b