you can call it your present and take it for your own, so that will be
fair and comfortable all round. What I want is to make everybody
satisfied."

"I'm sure I think they ought to be," said Mrs. Trimmer, looking very
kindly at Captain Eli.

Mrs. Trimmer went home to her own house to dinner, and in the afternoon
she brought the little girl. She had said there ought to be an early
supper, so that the child would have time to enjoy the Christmas tree
before she became sleepy.

This meal was prepared entirely by Captain Eli, and in sailor fashion,
not woman fashion, so that Captain Cephas could make no excuse for
eating his supper at home. Of course they all ought to be together the
whole of that Christmas eve. As for the big dinner on the morrow, that
was another affair, for Mrs. Trimmer undertook to make Captain Cephas
understand that she had always cooked for Captain Trimmer in sailor
fashion, and if he objected to her plum-duff, or if anybody else
objected to her mince-pie, she was going to be very much surprised.

Captain Cephas ate his supper with a good relish, and was still eating
when the rest had finished. As to the Christmas tree, it was the most
valuable, if not the most beautiful, that had ever been set up in that
region. It had no candles upon it, but was lighted by three lamps and
a ship's lantern placed in the four corners of the room, and the little
girl was as happy as if the tree were decorated with little dolls and
glass balls. Mrs. Trimmer was intensely pleased and interested to see
the child so happy, and Captain Eli was much pleased and interested to
see the child and Mrs. Trimmer so happy, and Captain Cephas was
interested, and perhaps a little amused in a superior fashion, to see
Captain Eli and Mrs. Trimmer and the little child so happy.

Then the distribution of the presents began. Captain Eli asked Captain
Cephas if he might have the wooden pipe that the latter had brought for
his present. Captain Cephas said he might take it, for all he cared,
and be welcome to it. Then Captain Eli gave Captain Cephas a red
bandanna handkerchief of a very curious pattern, and Captain Cephas
thanked him kindly. After which Captain Eli bestowed upon Mrs. Trimmer
a most beautiful tortoise-shell comb, carved and cut and polished in a
wonderful way, and with it he gave a tortoise-shell fan, carved in the
same fashion, because he said the two things seemed to belong to each
other and ought to go toge