em and seemed to find genuine pleasure in playing, talking, and
romping with the "small fry," so it was not surprising that they should
take almost complete possession of him whenever he came.

"Your father's improvement continues," said Mrs. Gordon with a happy
smile, in reply to her son's question as to how the invalid was feeling.
"He seems so bright and well to-day and sat in the invalid chair this
morning for more than an hour. I think he is surely gaining strength at
last."

"He's looking forward toward to-morrow with lots of pleasure, too," said
Alsie. "Yesterday, when I was in his room, he asked what I expected to
find in my stocking, and playfully suggested that he and I would have
to be careful not to get our stockings mixed. Do you know, Uncle Dick,
I had hardly given a moment's thought to what I was going to get, for
I have been so busy----"

Alsie caught herself just in time to keep from disclosing the secret to
the busy little grandmother, who, a few moments later, hurried out of
the dining room to resume once more her position in the sick-chamber.

"Look out the window, Alsie!" exclaimed Emily at this point, "it looks
like our hopes for a white Christmas are going to be realized."

Sure enough, the snow was falling fast and the ground already began to
look white.

"If it just keeps up, Auntee, won't we have a beautiful Christmas?"
exclaimed Alsie enthusiastically. Alice had been looking out, too, and
the shadow of doubt pulled at her heart-strings.

_Could_ it be the last Christmas--O, surely such a terrible sorrow was
not in store for them all! What would the merry season be without him?

These were the thoughts that flashed through her mind, but at the sound
of the clear little voice beside her, she dismissed them and answered
cheerily, "I think we are going to have a beautiful Christmas--in every
way--but it's time to be about our work now. Ask Uncle Dick if he left
the cedar out on the porch."

The cedar was brought in--likewise the holly and mistletoe--and oh, how
pretty the red berries looked, and how pretty the garlands of evergreen
looked when tied up with the crimson ribbons!

"How do you like these?" called Uncle Dick as he smoothed out a great
roll of posters. "I picked them up around the office, and thought they
would help in the decorations."

Alsie and Emily were filled with delight at sight of the great colored
newspaper sheets, covered with all manner of pictures of the dear ol