at seemed so
magnificent to her. All the goodies were divided evenly into three parts
and stowed away in father's three big socks, which hung against the
curtain. With her three dollars, she had got a pair of shoes for Nono, a
knit cap for Sep, and a pair of white stockings for Ranza; to her she
also gave the new hood; to Nono the mittens; and to Sep the tippet.

'Now the dear boys can go out, and my Ranza will be ready for the lady
to see, in her nice new things,' said Tessa, quite sighing with pleasure
to see how well the gifts looked pinned up beside the bulging socks,
which wouldn't hold them all. The little mother kept nothing for herself
but the pleasure of giving everything away; yet, I think, she was both
richer and happier than if she had kept them all. Her father laughed as
he had not done since the mother died, when he saw how comically the old
curtain had broken out into boots and hoods, stockings and tippets.

'I wish I had a gold gown and a silver hat for thee, my Tessa, thou art
so good. May the saints bless and keep thee always!' said Peter Benari
tenderly, as he held his little daughter close, and gave her the
good-night kiss.

Tessa felt very rich as she crept under the faded counterpane, feeling
as if she had received a lovely gift, and fell happily asleep with
chubby Ranza in her arms, and the two rough black heads peeping out at
the foot of the bed. She dreamed wonderful dreams that night, and woke
in the morning to find real wonders before her eyes. She got up early,
to see if the socks were all right, and there she found the most
astonishing sight. Four socks, instead of three; and by the fourth,
pinned out quite elegantly was a little dress, evidently meant for
her--a warm, woollen dress, all made, and actually with bright buttons
on it. It nearly took her breath away; so did the new boots on the
floor, and the funny long stocking like a grey sausage, with a wooden
doll staring out at the top, as if she said, politely, 'A Merry
Christmas, ma'am!' Tessa screamed and danced in her delight, and up
tumbled all the children to scream and dance with her, making a regular
carnival on a small scale. Everybody hugged and kissed everybody else,
offered sucks of orange, bites of cake, and exchanges of candy; every
one tried on the new things, and pranced about in them like a flock of
peacocks. Ranza skipped to and fro airily, dressed in her white socks
and the red hood; the boys promenaded in their little