his family; and Fanny says it is a
"darling book."

The dear absent soldier brother was not forgotten. On the table were
two packages directed to him. One of these contained a dozen fine
hem-stitched pocket handkerchiefs, with the initials of his name
beautifully worked in a corner of each. This had been done by Anna, who
was very skilful in such dainty arts. The other package consisted of a
complete set of Dickens's works, in strong, plain, but very neat
bindings.

"Oh," cried Harry. "George will stand on his head for joy, when he gets
these; he will be so tickled! The very books he was longing to own!"

"How _can_ he stand on his head?" asked Bennie.

"This way," answered Harry, and going up to the side of the room, he
suddenly lifted his feet in the air, resting them against the wall, and
stared at Bennie with his face upside down, and the top of his head on
the carpet.

The children laughed heartily, and as a matter of course, all the little
brothers began to practise standing on their heads, till they nearly got
fits of apoplexy, with the blood rushing the wrong way.

After they had returned from church that morning, every one of them
wrote to George a company letter, wishing him a merry Christmas, telling
him all the wonderful news about the little play; and informing him of
the quantity of mittens which were coming. They had now finished
eighteen pairs, to add to their fifty-seven, which their friends had
given them. These seventy-five pairs, were to be sent away the next
morning; but George's presents were to be carefully kept until his happy
return home; for he could not put all those precious books in his
knapsack; and as he might move from one place to another very often, the
less he had to carry in marching, the better.

The smaller children felt an almost reverential affection for their
soldier brother, who had gone away to fight for his country. They
regarded his letters as perfect wonders, with Camp Ellsworth printed on
the outside of them, and such superb capital D's and G's inside. The
little ones did not know _how_ he could make such splendid letters,
sitting in a tent, with the paper on his knee, ready to drop it at a
moment's warning, and flash fire and shot out of his gun, at the enemy.
They were quite sure he would be a General in a very short time, and
Johnny had serious thoughts of writing to the good President Lincoln,
and asking him to make George one without waiting any longer. Indeed,