rl was all excitement, and did not want to go to bed when
the hour came.

"Please, papa, let me stay up a little longer," she pleaded coaxingly.
"I am not a bit sleepy."

"No, my daughter; you must go at once," he said; "early hours are of
great importance in your present state of health, and you must try to put
away all exciting thoughts, and go to sleep as soon as you can. You will
try to obey me in this?"

"Yes, papa; I am sure I ought to be very good when you are so kind and
indulgent to me," she replied, as she put up her face for the usual
good-night kiss.

"God bless and keep my little one, and give her many happy returns of
this Christmas eve," said Mr. Dinsmore, folding her to his heart.

Elsie had intended to stay awake until her father should be in bed and
asleep, and then to steal softly into his room and take away the slippers
he usually wore, replacing them with the new ones which she had worked.
But now she engaged Chloe to do this for her, and in obedience to his
directions endeavored to put away all exciting thoughts and go to sleep,
in which she succeeded much sooner than she could have believed possible.

She was up and dressed, and saying "Merry Christmas!" at her papa's door,
quite early the next morning.

"Come in," said he, "and tell me what fairy has been here, changing my
old slippers to new ones."

"No fairy at all, papa; but just dear old mammy," she cried, springing
into his arms with a merry, ringing laugh.

"Ah, but I know very well it wasn't Aunt Chloe's fingers that worked
them," he said, kissing her first on one cheek, then on the other. "I
wish you a very merry Christmas, and a _very happy_ New Year, my darling.
Thank you for your gift; I like it very much, indeed; and now see what
papa has for _you_."

And opening a pretty little box that stood on his dressing-table, he took
from it a beautiful pearl necklace and bracelets, and clasped them round
her neck and arms.

"Oh, how beautiful! dear papa, thank you very much," she exclaimed,
delighted.

"Your Aunt Adelaide thought you didn't care much for ornaments," he
remarked, looking much pleased.

"I do when _you_ give them to me, papa," she answered, raising her eyes
to his face with one of her sweet, loving smiles.

"I am very glad my present pleases you," he said, "but for fear it
should not, I have provided another," and he placed in her hand a very
handsomely bound volume of Scott's poems.

"I don't deserve it, pap