wonderful story in the "Pilgrim's
Progress", where the gate of the celestial city swung open, and there
were voices that sung, "Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto
Him who sitteth on the throne." And then that wonderful star, that shone
just as if it were a real star--how could it be! For Miss Ida Lewis,
being a young lady of native artistic genius, had cut a little hole in
the centre of her gilt paper star, behind which was placed a candle, so
that it gave real light, in a way most astonishing to untaught eyes. In
Dolly's simple view it verged on the supernatural--perhaps it was _the_
very real star read about in the Gospel story. Why not? Dolly was at the
happy age when anything bright and heavenly seemed credible, and had the
child-faith to which all things were possible.

"I wish, my dear," said Mrs. Cushing, after they were retired to their
room for the night, "that to-morrow morning you would read the account
of the birth of Christ in St. Matthew, and give the children some advice
upon the proper way of keeping Christmas."

"Well, but you know we don't _keep_ Christmas; nobody knows anything
about Christmas," said the Doctor.

"You know what I mean, my dear," replied his wife. "You know that my
mother and her family _do_ keep Christmas. I always heard of it when I
was a child; and even now, though I have been out of the way of it so
long, I cannot help a sort of kindly feeling toward these ways. I am not
surprised at all that the children got drawn over last night to the
service. I think it's the most natural thing in the world, and I know by
experience just how attractive such things are. I shouldn't wonder if
this other church should draw very seriously on your congregation; but I
don't want it to begin by taking away our own children. Dolly is an
inquisitive child; a child that thinks a good deal, and she'll be asking
all sorts of questions about the why and wherefore of what she saw last
night."

"Oh, yes, Dolly is a bright one. Dolly's an uncommon child," said the
Doctor, who had a pardonable pride in his children--they being, in fact,
the only worldly treasure that he was at all rich in.

He rose up early on the following Sabbath and proceeded to buy a sugar
dog at the store of Lucius Jenks, and when Dolly came down to breakfast
he called her to him and presented it, saying as he kissed her:

"Papa gives you this, not because it is Christmas, but because he loves
his little Dolly."

"But _