skates to the boy
who should win the greatest number of races.

As it was getting late, it was arranged that the racing should come
off on the following day, and the Squire invited all the boys who took
part in it, to come up to his house to a substantial tea, after the
fun was over.

How delighted Leslie was, for he was a first-rate skater, and he _did_
so want a new pair of skates!

But the Squire's skates were not to be won by him, for on the
following day as he and his cousins were on their way to the pond,
they came across the queer old woman whom they had met on the previous
day.

She was sitting on the ground, and seemed to be in great pain. The
boys stopped to ask what ailed her, and she told them that she had
slipped and twisted her foot, and was afraid that her ankle was
sprained, for she could not bear to put it to the ground.

[Illustration: FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE.]

"You musn't sit here in the cold," said Leslie; "come, try and get up,
and I will help you home."

"Oh! Leslie," cried both his cousins, "don't go. You will be late for
the races, and lose your chance of the prize."

Poor Leslie! He turned first red, then white, and then said, in a
husky tone of voice--

"Never mind--you go on without me."

"You're a good laddie," said the old woman. "Will you be _very_ sorry
to miss the fun?"

Leslie muttered something about not minding _much_, and then the brave
little fellow set himself to help the poor old woman home, as gently
and tenderly as he could.

She would not let him come in with her, but told him to run off as
quickly as he could, and perhaps after all, he would not be too late
for the skating. But Leslie could not bear to leave her alone and in
pain, so he decided to run home and fetch his Aunt.

When Mrs. Howard arrived at the cottage, you can think how surprised
she was to find that Leslie's "poor old woman" was none other than
Grandmamma Howard herself, who wishing to find out the real characters
of her grandsons, had chosen to come in this disguise to the little
village where they lived.

You will easily guess which of the three boys Grandmamma chose to be
her little companion. And oh! what a lovely Grandmamma she was, as not
only Leslie, but his cousins too, found out. She always seemed to know
exactly what a boy wanted, and still better, to give it to him.

Walter and Stanley often felt terribly ashamed of the selfish manner
in which they had behaved, and wished they w