amid the wreaths on the transformed
hat-stand.

When all these arrangements were completed to their satisfaction,
they left the room. Mrs. Dudley remained some time longer. When she
left, the door was locked.

Mr. Dudley returned from the city, where he had been spending the day,
bringing some friends with him. Tea was speedily despatched, and then
all the family were summoned. The parlour door was unlocked. There
were various toys, baskets, and reticules suspended on the hat-stand.
There was a nice little felt hat for one of Mary's dolls, and a
looking-glass for the baby-house, and an embroidered cushion, which
Willie's industrious fingers had made for Minnie Dudley, as the doll
is called--a far better employment for him, I think, than throwing it
about and treating it roughly, as I have sometimes heard of boys
doing. There were humming-tops, which reminded me, by their music, of
the great spinning-wheel that whirred away in my mother's kitchen when
I was a child. There were graces, and battle-doors, and jack-straws
for the amusement of the children when it was too cold or stormy to
play out of doors.

On a table was an array of slippers, which Mary and her mother had
wrought for father and the boys. There was merry capering when they
were transferred to the feet of their owners. I shall not tell you
whether Mr. Dudley so far forgot his dignity as to partake of the
excitement, but I am quite sure he was much gratified by the present
Mary had made for him with her own hands, and that he kissed his
thanks with great fondness.

Most valuable of all to the little folks, and most gladly welcomed,
were the books. How eagerly they looked them over.

There was a present to Mrs. Dudley from her children, which I must not
forget to tell you about. It was a plain gold pin, in which, neatly
plaited, were six bunches of hair. One of them was dark, streaked with
gray--the others were auburn, flaxen, and brown. She knew whence the
treasures came to unite in that beautiful mosaic, and the tears were
ready to start from her eyes as she received that precious token of
family love.

When I was a child, I heard little about Christmas. It came and went
without my knowledge. But I enjoy the return of it very much now, and
sympathize with children in the interest with which they regard it. I
like to think they are treasuring up such cheerful memories to make
their early home attractive to their age.

The little Dudley's will always