fell at the thought.

"At the foot, if we don't study and keep up. Doctor said I might study
sometimes, if I'd lie still as long as he thought best, and Molly
brought home my books, and Merry says she will come in every day and
tell me where the lessons are. I don't mean to fall behind, if my
backbone is cracked," said Jill, with a decided nod that made several
black rings fly out of the net to dance on her forehead.

"Frank said he'd pull me along in my Latin, but I've been lazy and
haven't done a thing. Let's go at it and start fair for New Year,"
proposed Jack, who did not love study as the bright girl did, but was
ashamed to fall behind her in anything.

"All right. They've been reviewing, so we can keep up when they begin,
if we work next week, while the rest have a holiday. Oh, dear, I do miss
school dreadfully;" and Jill sighed for the old desk, every blot and
notch of which was dear to her.

"There come our things, and pretty nice they look, too," said Jack; and
his mother began to dress the tree, hanging up the gay horns, the gilded
nuts, red and yellow apples and oranges, and festooning long strings
of pop-corn and scarlet cranberries from bough to bough, with the
glittering necklaces hung where the light would show their colors best.

"I never saw such a splendid tree before. I'm glad we could help, though
we were ill. Is it all done now?" asked Jill, when the last parcel was
tied on and everybody stood back to admire the pretty sight.

"One thing more. Hand me that box, Frank, and be very careful that you
fasten this up firmly, Ralph," answered Mrs. Minot, as she took from its
wrappings the waxen figure of a little child. The rosy limbs were very
life-like, so was the smiling face under the locks of shining hair. Both
plump arms were outspread as if to scatter blessings over all, and downy
wings seemed to flutter from the dimpled shoulders, making an angel of
the baby.

"Is it St. Nicholas?" asked Jill, who had never seen that famous
personage, and knew but little of Christmas festivities.

"It is the Christ-child, whose birthday we are celebrating. I got the
best I could find, for I like the idea better than old Santa Claus;
though we _may_ have him, too," said Mamma, holding the little image so
that both could see it well.

"It looks like a real baby;" and Jack touched the rosy foot with the tip
of his finger, as if expecting a crow from the half-open lips.

"It reminds me of the saints in the c