inking and
dreaming of presents. Susy's wise head was like a beehive, full of
little plans and little fancies, which were flying about like bees, and
buzzing in everybody's ears.

But it may be as well to give you a short description of the Parlin
family.

Susy's eyes were of an "evening blue," the very color of the sky in a
summer night; good eyes, for they were as clear as a well which has the
"truth" lying at the bottom of it. She was almost as nimble as a
squirrel, and could face a northern snow storm like an engineer. Her
hair was dark brown, and as smooth and straight as pine-needles; while
Prudy's fair hair rippled like a brook running over pebbles. Prudy's
face was sunny, and her mouth not much larger than a button-hole.

The youngest sister was named Alice, but the family usually called her
Dotty, or Dotty Dimple, for she was about as round as a period, and had
a cunning little dimple in each cheek. She had bright eyes, long curls,
and a very short tongue; that is, she did not talk much. She was two
years and a half old before she could be prevailed upon to say anything
at all. Her father declared that Dotty thought there were people enough
in the world to do the talking, and she would keep still; or perhaps
she was tired of hearing Prudy say so much.

However, she had a way of nodding her curly head, and shaking her plump
little forefinger; so everybody knew very well what she meant. She had
learned the use of signs from a little deaf and dumb boy of whom we
shall hear more by and by; but all at once, when she was ready she began
to talk with all her might, and soon made up for lost time.

The other members of the family were only grown people: Mr. and Mrs.
Parlin, the children's excellent parents; Mrs. Read, their kind Quaker
grandmother; and the Irish servant girl, Norah.

Just now Mrs. Margaret Parlin, their "aunt Madge," was visiting them,
and the little girls felt quite easy about Christmas, for they gave it
all up to her; and when they wanted to know how to spend their small
stock of money, or how much this or that pretty toy would cost, Prudy
always settled it by saying, "Let's go ask auntie: _she'll_ know, for
she's been through the Rithmetic."

Prudy spoke these words with awe. She thought "going through the
Rithmetic" was next thing to going round the world.

"O Auntie, I'm so glad you came," said Susy, "for I didn't see how I was
ever going to finish my Christmas presents: I go to school, y