round and chubby limbs, was a picture; and within the little
form was shrined a heart full of love, and running over with compassion
and good will for every breathing thing; with feelings so sensitive,
that it was papa's delight to make her laugh and cry with stories, and
to watch in the blue, earnest mirror of her eye every change and turn of
his narration, as he took her through long fairy tales, and
old-fashioned giant and ghost legends, purely for his own amusement, and
much reprimanded all the way by mamma, for filling the child's head with
nonsense.

It was now, however, time to turn from the beauty to the substantial
realities of the supper table. I observed that Ally's high chair was
stationed close by her father's side; and ever and anon, while gayly
talking, he would slip into her rosy little mouth some choice bit from
his plate, these notices and attentions seeming so instinctive and
habitual, that they did not for a moment interrupt the thread of the
conversation. Once or twice I caught a glimpse of Rover's great rough
nose, turned anxiously up to the little chair; whereat the small white
hand forthwith slid something into his mouth, though by what dexterity
it ever came out from the great black jaws undevoured was a mystery.
When the supply of meat on the small lady's plate was exhausted, I
observed the little hand slyly slipping into her father's provision
grounds, and with infinite address abstracting small morsels, whereat
there was much mysterious winking between the father and the other
children, and considerable tittering among the younger ones, though all
in marvellous silence, as it was deemed best policy not to appear to
notice Ally's tricks, lest they should become too obstreperous.

In the course of the next day I found myself, to all intents and
purposes, as much part and parcel of the family as if I had been born
and bred among them. I found that I had come in a critical time, when
secrets were plenty as blackberries. It being New Year's week, all the
little hoarded resources of the children, both of money and of
ingenuity, were in brisk requisition, getting up New Year's presents for
each other, and for father and mother. The boys had their little tin
savings banks, where all the stray pennies of the year had been
carefully hoarded--all that had been got by blacking papa's boots, or by
piling wood, or weeding in the garden--mingled with some fortunate
additions which had come as windfalls fro