"It is beautiful from beginning to end, and it is a true story, that is what makes it so dear to us," Aunt Zelie said, looking into the fire.

"I wish it came oftener, a whole year is so long to wait," sighed Bess.

"Dear me," laughed her aunt, "I don't. It would take all my time to get ready. I have ever so many things to do after you are snugly tucked in bed."

"I think I'll not go to bed to-night," remarked Carl.

Even he was tired, however, after they had helped their father and Uncle William trim the hall. So many small fingers were sometimes a hindrance, but then it was "such fun."

"Christmas belongs to the children, so let them have a good time in their own way," said their uncle.

To the older people the season was full of memories of those who used to take part in the happy festival, but were there no longer; for the children's sake, however, no difference was made in the old customs.

All was done at last, even to fastening the mistletoe in the chandelier, and it only remained to hang the stockings beside the nursery fireplace. Carie's was already there and she herself safe in dreamland.

"I just can't wait till morning," said Bess, as she put up her own.

"It is nice to know it is coming, I think," and Louise twirled around on her toes and dropped her stocking into the grate.

"What will Santa Claus put your things in now?" laughed Carl.

"It is only scorched," she said, s.n.a.t.c.hing it from the fire, which was fortunately low.

After some laughing and whispering over a plan for waking before any one else, they separated and were soon so soundly asleep that even Christmas was forgotten.

It was beginning to be light next morning when Louise opened her eyes to find Carl standing beside her.

"How hard you are to wake," he said. "It is daylight, and everybody will be up directly."

They aroused Bess, and the three ran first to their father's door, then to Aunt Zelie's, giving half a dozen hearty raps, and calling "Merry Christmas" at the tops of their voices.

When Mrs. Howard opened her door she saw three airily attired figures flying up the third-story stairs.

Hurrying into her dressing-gown, she followed. She found them in the star chamber with the window wide open, shouting themselves hoa.r.s.e at Ikey, who had been awakened by the telephone bell.

"You crazy children, you will take cold! Put the window down at once."

"Oh, Auntie, it was such fun! Ikey was so surprised!" they cried.

"I should imagine so," severely.

"You needn't pretend to look cross, Aunt Zelie, for you just can't,"

laughed Carl.

"Now for our stockings!" cried Bess, and there was a rush for the nursery.

Such laughing, such squeals of delight, such cries of admiration, as were to be heard there for the next half hour!

Carie in her long night-gown pranced wildly around a wonderful white bear, which moved its head and growled in a most natural manner when Carl wound it up. Helen hugged in one arm the beautiful doll Cousin Helen had dressed for her, while she dived into the toe of her stocking. Bess and Louise sat on their new sled and turned the pages of a story-book. Carie brought matters to a climax by backing into her bath-tub, which Aunt Sukey had just brought in and placed by the fire.

She was rescued, dripping and somewhat aggrieved, amid great laughter.

Such an every-day matter as breakfast was hardly worth thinking of, there was so much else in prospect. All the uncles and aunts and cousins were coming to dinner, and after that the tree! There was enough to keep them in a gale of excitement.

Bess and Louise had a plan of their own which no one else knew about, and after breakfast they stole off together.

Going into her little study not long after, Aunt Zelie found them there. Bess stood on a chair holding a vase which she had just filled with white roses; Louise stood beside her with some others in her hand.

"Oh, Auntie!" they both exclaimed, "we didn't want you to come till it was all done."

"Shall I go away?" she asked, smiling.

"We'll tell you about it now, shan't we, Bess?" said Louise. "You know," she continued, as her sister nodded approval, "we thought perhaps Uncle Carl would be glad if we remembered him on Christmas, and we couldn't think of anything but flowers."

Bess had placed the vase on a bracket beneath her uncle's portrait, and now came down from the chair, adding anxiously, "You like it, don't you, Aunt Zelie?"

"The vase wouldn't hold them all, so you must wear the rest," and Louise put them into her hand.

Aunt Zelie silently kissed them both.

There was something about this kiss that for a moment clouded the brightness of the day for Bess. "I wish people did not die," she exclaimed with almost a sob, as they went downstairs.

"What makes you look so sober, I should like to know?" demanded Uncle William, who, with Aunt Marcia, was the first of the guests to arrive.

"I was just thinking," she replied, and then, as Aunt Zelie came in with her usual bright face and the roses on her breast, she felt rea.s.sured and danced away to be as merry as anybody.

Dora and Ikey were the only outsiders invited to the tree, which was much like other trees, and so does not need to be described. It was perfectly satisfactory, however, and they all had exactly what they wanted. Dora was amazed at the number of things that fell to her share, most of all at a small gold bracelet with a daisy on the clasp, from Aunt Marcia.

"You may be sure she likes you after that," whispered Aleck.

"Let's go over and wish Miss Brown a Merry Christmas," proposed Carl, when the candles began to burn low.

"We will storm Nottingham castle!" cried Ikey. "Come on!"

They received a cordial welcome. "What good children you are to think of me to-day!" she said, laying down her book.

"We have had such a beautiful time we thought we would finish it by coming to see you," said Dora.

"And thank you for our work-bags," added Bess.

"You need not think you have had all the Christmas on your side of the street," said Miss Brown, pointing to a rose-bush in bloom in the window and to some new books on her table. "And I should like to know," she continued, "how five little girls happened to guess what would please me most."

The M.Ks., after much discussion about their gift to Miss Brown, had accepted Aunt Zelie's advice and had themselves photographed in a group.

"I shall never be lonely again with these bright faces to look at,"

she said, lifting the picture from the floor beside her sofa.

"Did you have Christmas trees when you were a little girl, Miss Brown?" Louise asked.

"No, my grandmother used to celebrate New Year's day as the great holiday; we had gifts then, but not a tree."