EGARDE DANCED THE VIRGINIA REEL WITH THE COLONEL."]

HILDEGARDE'S HARVEST

BY

LAURA E. RICHARDS

AUTHOR OF "CAPTAIN JANUARY," "HILDEGARDE'S NEIGHBOURS,"
"QUEEN HILDEGARDE," ETC.

Illustrated

BOSTON
DANA ESTES & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS

_Copyright, 1897,_
BY ESTES AND LAURIAT.

Colonial Press:
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
Boston, Mass., U.S.A.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE MORNING MAIL 9

II. THE CHRISTMAS DRAWER 21

III. AUNT EMILY 41

IV. GREETINGS 59

V. AT THE EXCHANGE 73

VI. MORE GREETINGS 96

VII. MERRY WEATHER SIGNS 117

VIII. CHRISTMASING 137

IX. AN EVENING HOUR 162

X. DIE EDLE MUSICA 176

XI. THE BOYS 196

XII. JIMMY'S POND 217

XIII. MERRY CHRISTMAS 238

XIV. BELLEROPHON 257

XV. AT LAST 279

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

"HILDEGARDE DANCED THE VIRGINIA REEL WITH THE
COLONEL" _Frontispiece_

BELL'S LETTER 14

"MRS. DELANSING SCRUTINISED HER AS SHE CAME
THROUGH THE LONG ROOM" 50

"'HILDEGARDE GRAHAME, IN THE NAME OF ALL
THAT'S WONDERFUL!'" 91

"'CONSIDER THE BEAUTY OF YOUR OFFSPRING'" 140

DIE EDLE MUSICA 177

ON JIMMY'S POND 223

"A LITTLE FIGURE . . . STOOD OUT CLEAR AGAINST
THE DARK FIRS" 274

HILDEGARDE'S HARVEST.

CHAPTER I.

THE MORNING MAIL.

HILDEGARDE was walking home from the village, whither she had gone to
get the mail. She usually rode the three miles on her bicycle, but she
had met a tack on the road the day before, and must now wait a day or
two till the injured tire could be mended.