ed as white
and trembling as an arrowroot blanc-mange.

In obedience to the widow's entreaties the tutor opened a window, and
tried to carry MacGreedy to the air; but that young gentleman utterly
refused to allow the tutor to approach him, and was borne howling to
bed by his mamma.

With the fresh air the fumes of the fragrant smoke dispersed, and the
company roused themselves.

"Rather oppressive, eh?" said the master of the house, who had had his
dream too, with which we have no concern.

The dogs had had theirs also, and had testified to the same in their
sleep by low growls and whines. Now they shook themselves, and rubbed
against each other, growling in a warlike manner through their teeth,
and wagging peaceably with their little stumpy tails.

The twins shook themselves, and fell to squabbling as to whether they
had been to sleep or no; and, if either, which of them had given way to
that weakness.

Miss Letitia took the paper bonnet from her head with a nervous laugh,
and after looking regretfully at the cracker papers put them in her
pocket.

The parson went home through the frosty night. In the village street he
heard a boy's voice singing two lines of the Christian hymn--

"Trace we the Babe Who hath redeemed our loss
From the poor Manger to the bitter Cross;"

and his eyes filled with tears.

The old lady went to bed and slept in peace.

"In all the thirty-five years we have been privileged to hear you,
sir," she told the rector next day after service, "I never heard such a
Christmas sermon before."

The visitor carefully preserved the blue paper and the cracker motto.
He came down early next morning to find the white half to put with
them. He did not find it, for the young lady had taken it the night
before.

The tutor had been in the room before him, wandering round the scene of
the evening's festivities.

The yule log lay black and cold upon the hearth, and the tutor nodded
to it. "I told you how it would be," he said; "but never mind, you
have had your day, and a merry one too." In the corner lay the heap of
crackers which Master MacGreedy had been too ill to remember when he
retired. The tutor pocketed them with a grim smile.

As to the comfit, it was eaten by one of the dogs, who had come down
earliest of all. He swallowed it whole, so whether it contained an
almond or not, remains a mystery to the present time.

* * * * *

AMELIA AND