e sight of the waggon and the mistletoe
overwhelmed her. It only made matters worse to see the waggon come
towards the house. She rather wondered what the carrier was bringing;
but whatever it was, it was not the toys.

She went back to her seat by the fire, and cried bitterly; and, as she
cried, the ball in her throat seemed to grow larger, till she could
hardly breathe. She was glad when the door opened, and her mother's
kind face looked in.

"Is Darling here?" she asked.

"No, mother," said Madam Liberality huskily.

"Then you may bring it in," said her mother to some one outside, and
the servant appeared, carrying a wooden box, which she put down before
Madam Liberality, and then withdrew. "Now don't speak," said her
mother, "it is bad for you, and your eyes have asked fifty questions
already, my child. Where did the box come from? The carrier brought
it. Who is it for? It's for you. Who sent it? That I don't know. What
is inside? I thought you would like to be the first to see. My idea is
that perhaps your godmother has sent you a Christmas-box, and I
thought that there might be things in it which would help you with
your Christmas-tree, so I have not told any one about it."

To the end of her life Madam Liberality never forgot that
Christmas-box. It did not come from her godmother, and the name of the
giver she never knew. The first thing in it was a card, on which was
written--"A Christmas-box from an unknown friend;" and the second
thing in it was the set of china tea-things with the green rim; and
the third thing was a box of doll's furniture.

"Oh, Mother!" cried Madam Liberality, "they're the very things I was
counting over in the bazaar, when the shopman heard me."

"Did anybody else hear you?" asked her mother.

"There was a lady, who said, 'I think the little girl said the box of
beasts.' And, oh! Mother, Mother! here _is_ the box of beasts! They're
not common beasts, you know--not wooden ones, painted; they're rough,
something like hair. And feel the old elephant's ears, they're quite
leathery, and the lion has real long hair for his mane and the tip of
his tail. They are such thorough beasts. Oh, how the boys will like
them! Tom shall have the darling brown bear. I do think he is the very
best beast of all; his mouth is a little open, you know, and you can
see his tongue, and it's red. And, Mother! the sheep are curly! And
oh, what a dog! with real hair. I think I _must_ keep the dog. And I
sha