was ended at last and Uncle Rufus wheeled out Aunt Sarah's
beautiful sewing table, with her other smaller presents upon it. Ruth
told her how happy it made them all to give it to her. Aunt Sarah's keen
eye lit up as she was shown all the interesting things about her new
acquisition; but all the verbal comment she made was that she thought
"you gals better be in better business than buying gewgaws for an old
woman like me."

"Just the same, she is pleased as Punch," Mrs. MacCall whispered to
Ruth. "Only, she doesn't like to show it."

The girls quickly came to their own presents. None of the articles they
had bought for each other were of great value intrinsically; but they
all showed love and thoughtfulness. Little things that each had at some
time carelessly expressed a wish for, appeared from the stockings to
delight and warm the heart of the recipient.

There was nobody, of course, to give the two older girls any very
valuable gifts; but there was a pretty locket and chain for Ruth which
she had seen in the jewelry-store window and expressed a fondness for,
while the desire of Agnes' eyes was satisfied when she found a certain
bracelet in the toe of her stocking.

Tess had a bewildering number of books and school paraphernalia, as well
as additions to her dolls' paraphernalia; but it was Dot who sat down
breathlessly in the middle of the floor under a perfect avalanche of
treasures, all connected with her "children's" comfort and her personal
house-keeping arrangements.

It would have been almost sacrilege to have presented Dot with another
doll; for the Alice-doll that had come the Christmas before and had only
lately been graduated into short clothes, still held the largest place
in the little girl's affections.

Battered by adversity as the Alice-doll was, Dot's heart could never
have warmed toward another "child" as it did toward the unfortunate that
"Double Trouble"--that angel-faced young one from Ipsilanti--had buried
with the dried apples. But Dot's sisters had showered upon her every
imaginable comfort and convenience for the use of a growing family of
dolls, as well as particular presents to the Alice-doll herself.

"What's the matter, child?" asked Mrs. MacCall, seeing the expression on
Dot's face as she sat among her possessions. "Don't they suit?"

"Mrs. MacCall," declared Dot, gravely, "I think I shall faint. My
heart's just jumping. If gladness could kill anybody, I know I'd have to
die to sho