, pulled a pair of thick woollen
stockings over the outside of his boots and a pair of fur-lined
top-boots outside of these, girded himself with three long scarfs, and
pulled his brown otter-skin cap down over his ears. He was nearly
as broad as he was long, when he had completed these operations, and
descended into the street where the big double-sleigh (made in the shape
of a huge white swan) was awaiting them. They now called at Ralph's
lodgings, whence he presently emerged in a similar Esquimau costume,
wearing a wolf-skin coat which left nothing visible except the tip of
his nose and the steam of his breath. Then they started off merrily with
jingling bells, and waved a farewell toward many a window, wherein were
friends and acquaintances. They felt in so jolly a mood, that they could
not help shouting their joy in the face of all the world, and crowing
over all poor wretches who were left to spend the holidays in the city.

II.

Solheim was about twenty miles from the city, and it was nine o'clock in
the evening when the boys arrived there. The moon was shining brightly,
and the Milky Way, with its myriad stars, looked like a luminous mist
across the vault of the sky. The aurora borealis swept down from the
north with white and pink radiations which flushed the dark blue sky for
an instant, and vanished. The earth was white, as far as the eye could
reach--splendidly, dazzlingly white. And out of the white radiance rose
the great dark pile of masonry called Solheim, with its tall chimneys
and dormer-windows and old-fashioned gables. Round about stood the tall
leafless maples and chestnut-trees, sparkling with frost and stretching
their gaunt arms against the heavens. The two horses, when they swung
up before the great front-door, were so white with hoar-frost that they
looked shaggy like goats, and no one could tell what was their original
color. Their breath was blown in two vapory columns from their nostrils
and drifted about their heads like steam about a locomotive.

The sleigh-bells had announced the arrival of the guests, and a great
shout of welcome was heard from the hall of the house, which seemed
alive with grownup people and children. Ralph jumped out of the sleigh,
embraced at random half a dozen people, one of whom was his mother,
kissed right and left, protesting laughingly against being smothered
in affection, and finally managed to introduce his friend, who for the
moment was feeling a trifl