. His grandmother in slave times belonged to a neighbor of
ours, and this little fellow is the youngest of six. I've just been
telling the Major what a trial he is to me. And now let me look at
you. Ah! you have been working too hard. I see it in your eyes.
Haven't you had some dreadful strain lately?"

Fitz declared on his honor, with one hand over his upper watch pocket,
and the other still in hers, that he never felt better in his life,
and that so idle had he become lately, that it was hard work for him
to keep employed. And then Aunt Nancy made him sit beside her on the
hair-cloth sofa, the one on which Fitz would not permit the Colonel to
sleep, and I, being nearest, tucked a cushion under her absurdly small
feet and rearranged about her shoulders her Indian mull shawl, which
didn't require any rearranging at all. And after Fitz had told the
dear lady for the third time how glad he was to see her, and after she
had told him how glad she was to see both of us, and how she hoped
dear George would soon secure the money necessary to build his
railroad, so that we could all come to Carter Hall for next Christmas,
she adding gravely that she really couldn't see any need for the
road's existence or any hope of its completion, although she never
said so to dear George, she being a woman and not expected to know
much of such things;--after, I say, all these delightful speeches and
attentions and confidences had been indulged in, Aunt Nancy bent her
head, turned her sweet face framed in the lace cap and ribbons, first
towards me and then back to Fitz again--she had been talking to Fitz
all this time, I listening--and said with the air of a fairy godmother
entertaining two children:

"And now I've got a great Christmas surprise for both of you, and you
shall have one guess apiece as to what it is."

Fitz, with the memories of a former Christmas at Carter Hall still
fresh in mind, and knowing the dear lady's generosity, and having seen
the biggest bundle of feathers and the longest pair of legs he had
ever laid his eyes on hanging head down on the measly wall of the
shabby yard as he entered, screwed up his eyes, cudgelled his brain by
tapping his forehead with his forefinger, and blurted out:

"Wild turkey stuffed with chestnuts."

Aunt Nancy laughed until her side curls shook.

"Oh, you dreadful gourmand! Not a _bit_ like a turkey. How mortified
you will be when you find out! Go and stand in the corner, sir, with
you