in its accustomed haunts long after some of the blooming
ones around that board are mouldering in the grave.

Old Mammy too, whose home has been with Agnes ever since her marriage,
has come back to her old home for the Christmas holidays. But Mammy is
a good deal broken, and nothing is required of her by her kind mistress,
except such little offices as it is a pleasure to her to perform.

Cousin Emily, the "old maid cousin," as she calls herself, is in great
demand; indeed, as she says, she is a perfect "bone of contention," and
in order to keep peace with all, she has had to divide the year into
four parts, and give three months to each of those who have the
strongest claim upon her time. It is always a season of rejoicing when
cousin Emily arrives, with her ever cheerful face, her entertaining
conversation for the older ones, and her fund of stories and anecdotes
for the children.

After dinner came an old-fashioned Christmas frolic, and the older ones
were children again, and the children as wild and noisy as they chose to
be. Mr. Wharton on entering the room suddenly, saw his nephew, Mr. Tom,
going around the room on all fours, as a horse, driven by his only son
and heir, Master Tom, junior.

"Tom," said Mr. Wharton suddenly, "how do you prefer calf's head?"

"What do you mean by that, uncle?" said Mr. Tom, pausing a moment and
looking up.

"I took some notes of a certain conversation which took place some years
ago," said his uncle, "in which a certain young gentleman called a
certain old gentleman _a calf_, because he made such a fool of himself
as to be a horse for his little son to drive; and this young gentleman
said he would sooner eat his head, than make such an exhibition of
himself."

"Well, circumstances do alter cases, don't they, uncle?" said Mr. Tom,
beginning to prance about again under the renewed blows of the whip in
Master Tom junior's hand.

Mrs. Arlington and her daughters still keep their school, which is as
popular and flourishing as ever. Rosa and Jessie Fairland are still
under their care, and it is a great pleasure to Agnes to see what fine,
agreeable girls they are growing up to be. They retain a warm affection
for Agnes and pass many a pleasant day at the Rookery, when they are at
home for a vacation. Frank is still under Mr. Malcolm's care, and a
member of his family, Mr. Malcolm finds him a much more tractable pupil
than one we know of, to whom he tried to do his duty many years