r Ethel could not entertain the idea of Christmas
without one. She consulted the porter, who entered into the spirit of
the thing warmly, and as he had noticed some trees not far back, near
the track, he managed to cut off a large branch from one. Shaking it
free from the snow, he set it up in a box, under Ethel's directions,
making it stand steadily upright with chunks of coal packed in the box
around it, and it really looked something like a tree, though it was
entirely bare of leaves, for it was not an evergreen.

The baggage-car was decided upon for the celebration, and all day
before Christmas Ethel and Harry, as well as most of the passengers by
turns, were very busy there. Ethel covered the box of coal with the
remains of the sheet; candles for the tree, with all their ingenuity,
they were unable to manage, but a fine effect was produced by a
brilliant red lantern, which a brakeman lent for the occasion, placed
in among the branches.

All the gifts--and they were surprisingly numerous--were hung about
the tree, and the bare spaces filled up with paper ladders and rings
of dancing dolls and long curling tassels and fringes, all of which
Ethel cut with the scissors out of newspapers. These last decorations
were added with locked doors, only the porter being allowed to see
them.

It was really a very effective show, though so odd, and after the
passengers had enjoyed their evening meal of jack rabbits roasted
before the fire, with dry crackers for bread, and water to drink, they
were all invited by the smiling colored porter to proceed to the
baggage-car.

The Grey family, for whom all this had been done, were gallantly
escorted by the porter himself, who even carried the baby, now bright
and smiling on its diet of condensed milk.

The baggage-car presented a gay appearance, brilliantly lighted by
many brakeman's lanterns. Trunks were stowed away in one end, except
those needed for seats, and in a few moments the women and children
were seated, while all the men of the train stood around behind them,
even to the weary-looking engineer who had been working so hard these
two days and nights for their release.

The surprise and delight of the Grey children knew no bounds; and when
they found that all these treasures were for them, their ecstasies
were beyond control; they laughed and shouted almost like other
children, as they had never in their lives done before.

As for the mother, she was simply overcome; t