"It should, seeing that it is quite as much yours as his," he said, with a gratified smile. "Well, my dear, I see we have all finished eating.

Shall we go now?"

"Yes, sir; if you please. Our little girls will want to take another peep at their new pets," she said, rising and slipping her hand into his arm.

They pa.s.sed out of the room together, the children following.

But on reaching the hall, instead of going into the library they turned toward the parlor on the other side of it, in which, as the children well remembered, last year's Christmas tree had been set up.

The captain threw open the door, and then stood a larger and finer tree blazing with lights from many tapers and colored lamps, and loaded with beautiful things.

"Oh! oh! what a beauty! what a splendid tree!" cried the children, dancing about and clapping their hands in delight. "And we didn't know we were to have any at all. Mamma Vi you must have had it set up, and trimmed it while we were gone this morning. Didn't you? Oh thank you ever so much!"

"Your father provided it, and your thanks are due to him far more than to me," Violet replied, with a smiling-glance in his direction.

At that they crowded about him, Max putting a hand affectionately into his and thanking him with hearty words of appreciation, while the little girls hugged and kissed him to his heart's content.

The servants had gathered about the door, little Elsie's mammy among them, with her nursling in her arms.

"Oh pretty, pretty!" shouted the little one, clapping her hands in an ecstacy of delight. "Let Elsie down, mammy."

"Come to papa," the captain said, and taking her in his arms carried her to the tree and all around it, pointing out the pretty things.

"What would you like to have?" he asked. "What shall papa give you off this beautiful tree?"

"Dolly," she said, reaching out for a lovely bisque doll seated in a tiny chair attached to one of the lower branches.

"You shall have it; it was put there on purpose for papa's baby girl,"

he said, taking it up carefully and putting it into her arms. "Now let us see what we can find for mamma and your brother and sisters."

His gift to Violet was some beautiful lace selected with the help of her mother. He had contrived to add it to the adornments of the tree without her knowledge. She was greatly pleased when he detached and handed it to her.

Max was delighted to receive a Magic lantern and a Sleight of Hand outfit, Lulu a game of Lawn and Parlor Ring Toss, and a handsome Toilet Case. Grace had the same and beside a bra.s.s bedstead for her dolls, with mattress and pillows, and a large and complete a.s.sortment of everything needed for making and dressing paper dolls. That last was from Lulu.

There were books, periodicals, a type writer and games to be shared by all three, beside other less important gifts from one to the other, and from outside friends.

The servants too, were remembered with gifts suited to their needs and tastes, and there were fruits and confections for all.

Examining their own and each other's gifts, peeping into the new books, trying the new games, with papa and mamma helping, the children found the evening pa.s.s very quickly and delightfully.

"We were going to hang up our stockings," Grace remarked as the good nights were being said, "but we've had so many nice things already that it does seem as if we oughtn't to do it."

"Oh yes, hang them up," said her father laughingly. "Santa Claus won't feel obliged to put anything into them."

"And perhaps if he doesn't find them hanging up he may feel hurt at your low opinion of his generosity," laughed Violet.

"Oh I wouldn't like to hurt his feelings, 'cause I'm sure he must be a very nice old fellow," returned the little girl with an arch look and smile. "So I'll hang mine up."

"And I mine," said Lulu, twining her arms about her father's neck and looking up lovingly into his face, "for I know he's nice, and generous, and good as gold, though he isn't old or the sort of person to be called a fellow."

"Indeed! one might infer that you were quite well acquainted with him,"

laughed the captain, giving her a hug and kiss. "Yes, hang it up. And, Max, if you don't feel it beneath the dignity of a lad of your size, there will be no harm in your trying the same experiment."

"I'm ashamed to think of it, sir, only because I've already had so much," said Max.

"But you are always safe in following your father's advice," remarked Violet.

"Oh yes, I know that, and I'll do it, Mamma Vi," returned the boy, with ill-concealed satisfaction.

"Now all three of you get to bed and to sleep as soon as you can, in order to give the old fellow a chance to pay his visit," said the captain; "for I have always understood that he never does so till all the children in the house are asleep. I'll go in to kiss my little girls good-night after they are snug in bed, but we will reserve our talk till morning."

"Yes, papa, we will," they said and hastened away to do his bidding.

At Ion too, there was a beautiful Christmas tree, bearing fruit not very dissimilar to that of the one at Woodburn. It had been the occasion of much mirth and rejoicing on the part of the children, and pleasure to the older people: the gifts had been apportioned, those of the servants bestowed and carried away, but most of those belonging to the family, and all the ornaments, were left upon it that the guests of to-morrow might be treated to the spectacle of its beauty.

CHAPTER VI.

Capt. Raymond, going into Gracie's room to fulfil his promise to give her a good night kiss, found Lulu there also; the two lying clasped in each other's arms.

"We thought we'd sleep together to-night, papa," said Lulu, "if you're willing."

"I have no objection," he answered. "Gracie was a little afraid to receive Santa Claus alone, was she?" looking down at them with a humorous smile as he stood by the bedside.

"Oh no, papa! I'm pretty sure I know who he is, and I'm not one bit afraid of him," answered the little girl, with a merry laugh, catching his hand and carrying it to her lips.

"Ah! then it was Lulu who was afraid, was it?"

"Oh no, sir! Lu's never afraid of anything."

"Indeed; you seem to have a high opinion of her courage! You need never, either of you, be afraid or ashamed of anything but sin, my darlings,"

he added, more gravely. "If you are G.o.d's children, nothing can harm you. He will watch over us through the dark and silent night while we are wrapped in slumber. 'Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber or sleep.'"

"I'm so glad the Bible tells us that, papa," she said; "but I'm glad, too, that you sleep in the next room, and have the door open always at night, so that if I should want you, you could easily hear me call, and come to me."

"Yes," he said, "and neither of my little girls need ever hesitate for a moment to call for their father if they are ill or troubled in any way.

"Ah I see the stockings hanging one on each side of the fire place. But how is Santa Claus to tell which is Lulu's and which Gracie's?"

"Why we never thought of that!" exclaimed Lulu, laughing. "But mine's a little the largest, and it's red and Gracie's is blue. Don't you suppose, papa, that he'll be smart enough to guess which is which?"

"I think it is likely, but you will have to take the risk," replied her father. Then with a good night kiss he left them to their slumbers.

Day was faintly dawning when Lulu awoke. "Merry Christmas, Gracie!" she whispered in her sister's ear. "I'm going to get our stockings and see if there is anything in 'em," and with a bound she was out on the floor and stealing across it to the fireplace, with care to make no noise.

She could not refrain, however, from a delighted "Oh!" as she laid hold of the stockings and felt that they were stuffed full of something.