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 God’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.

“Did he come? is there something in ’em?” whispered Grace, as Lulu came back to the bedside.

“Yes, yes, indeed! they’re just as full as they can be!  I’ve brought ’em; here’s yours,” putting it into Gracie’s hands and getting into bed again.  “Let’s pull the things out and feel what they are, though we can’t see much till it gets lighter.”

“Yes, let’s,” said Grace; “I couldn’t bear to wait.”

They thought they were keeping very quiet, but Lu’s “Oh!” had wakened her father and Violet and they were lying quietly listening and laughing softly to themselves.

There was a rustle of paper, then Gracie’s voice in a loud whisper, “Oh another dolly for me! and I just know it’s lovely!  I can feel its hair, and its dress; it’s all dressed!”

Then Lulu’s, “A potato! just a horrid, raw Irish potato!  What do I want with that?”

“And I’ve got one too!” from Grace.  “Oh well, I s’pose that was to fill up, and maybe there’s something nice lower down.”

“A sweet potato or a parsnip or something of that kind in mine,” said Lulu, some slight vexation in her tone.  “Oh well, I’ve had so many nice things, and this is only for fun.”

“And here are some candies in mine,” said Grace.  “Haven’t you got some?”

“Yes, oh yes! and nuts and raisins.  I’d like to taste them; but I think we’d better leave them till after breakfast.  I’m pretty sure papa would say so.”

“Yes, ’course he would; so we’ll wait.”

“Good obedient children; aren’t they?” the captain said in a gratified whisper to Violet.

“Very; I’m proud of them,” she responded.

It was growing light and Lulu, taking up the despised potato, examined it more critically.  Presently she uttered an exclamation,

“O Gracie, see!  It opens and there’s something inside!”

The captain and Violet listened intently for what might come next.

“More candies and something wrapped up in soft paper.  O Gracie! it’s a lovely little breastpin!”

“Oh, oh, how pretty!” cried Grace.  “I wonder if I have one too!” In their excitement they were forgetting the danger of disturbing others and talking quite loud.

“Yes, mine opens,” Grace went on, “and oh yes, I’ve got candies and something with paper round it and oh yes, yes, it is a pin!  Not quite like yours, but just every bit as pretty!”

“I think they are having a merry Christmas,” said the captain, a happy light in his eyes, “and, my love, I wish you the same.”

Violet returned the wish; but the children were talking again and they kept quiet to hearken.

“Oh this sweet potato opens too,” Lulu was saying, “and there’s something that feels like a stick.  O Gracie, Gracie, look! it’s a gold pencil, a lovely little gold pencil!  Have you one?”

“No; but you haven’t a doll.”

“Well, I think Santa Claus has been very generous and kind to us.”

“Just as good and kind as if he was our own papa,” Gracie said, with a sweet silvery laugh.

“The dear, grateful darlings!” exclaimed the captain, his tone half tremulous with feeling.  “I sometimes fear I am almost too indulgent; but it is such a dear delight to give them pleasure.”

“And I don’t believe it does them the least harm, so long as you do not indulge them in any wrong doing,” said Violet.  “Love never hurts anybody.”

“Merry Christmas, my darlings,” he called to them.  “Did Santa Claus fill your stockings?”

“Oh merry, merry Christmas, papa!” they answered.  “Yes, sir, Santa Claus or somebody did, and gave us lovely things.  We’re very much obliged to him.”

As they spoke the door into their little sitting-room opened and Max put in his head, crying in his turn, “Merry Christmas to you all papa and Mamma Vi, Lulu and Gracie.”

A chorus of merry Christmases answered him; then Lulu asked, “What did Santa Claus put in your stocking, Maxie?”

“A good deal:  about as much as could be crammed into it; some handsome neckties, candies and nuts and a gold pencil.”

“Very nice,” commented Lulu, and she and Grace, both talking at once, gave a gleeful account of their discoveries in searching their stockings.

They had hardly finished their narrative when a glad shout from the nursery interrupted them.

“There! little Elsie has found her stocking, I do believe,” said Lulu, starting up to a sitting posture that she might look through the open door into the next room.  As she did so a tiny toddling figure clothed in a white night dress, and with a well filled stocking in its arms emerged from the nursery door and ran across the room to the bedside, crying gleefully, “See mamma, papa, Elsie got.”

“What have you got pet?” asked her father, picking her up and setting her in the bed.  “There, pull out the things and let papa and mamma see what they are.”

“Mayn’t we come and see too?” asked the other children.

“Yes,” he said, “you can come and peep in at the door, but first put on your warm slippers and dressing gowns, that you may not take cold.”

Baby Elsie was a merry, demonstrative little thing, and it was great fun for them all to watch her and hear her shouts of delight as she came upon one treasure after another; tiny, gaily dressed dolls of both sexes, and other toys suited to her years.

It did not take her very long to empty the stocking, and then the captain said to the older ones, “Now you may close the door, my dears, and get yourselves dressed and ready for the duties and pleasures of the day.  I shall be in presently for our usual chat before breakfast.”

They made haste with their dressing, and were quite ready for their father when he came in some half hour later.  They were very light-hearted and gay and full of gratitude for all they had received.

“Dear papa, you are so good to us,” they said, twining their arms about his neck, as they sat one upon each knee.

“I want to be,” he said, caressing them in turn, “I have no greater pleasure than I find in making my children happy.  And your grateful appreciation of my efforts makes me very happy.”

“But, papa, I ” began Lulu, then paused hesitatingly.

“Well, daughter, don’t be afraid to let me know the thought in your mind,” he said kindly.

“I was just wondering why it’s right for me to have so many other things, and would be wrong for me to have that ring I wanted so badly.  But please, papa,” she added quickly and with a vivid blush, “don’t think I mean to be naughty about it, or want you to spend any more money on me.”

“No, dear child, I could not think so ill of you.  I did not think it right or wise to buy you the ring, because it would have been spending a great deal for something quite useless, and very unsuitable for my little girl.  The things I have given you I considered it right to buy because they will all be useful to you in one way or another.”

“The games and storybooks, papa?” asked Grace with a look of surprise.

“Yes, daughter; people and especially little folks like Max and Lulu and you need amusement as a change and rest from work; we can do all the more work in the end if we take time for needed rest and recreation.”

“So it won’t be time wasted to have our Christmas holidays?” remarked Lulu, half inquiringly.

“No, I think not,” her father answered.

“Shall we take our new games to Ion with us, papa?” she asked.

“If you wish.  I presume Grandma Elsie will not object to your taking any of your possessions with you that you think will be useful or enjoyable to yourselves or others.”

“I’m just sure she won’t; ’cause she’s so kind,” said Grace.  “But I s’pose it won’t do to take our live new pets?”

“No; but you may safely leave them in Christine’s care.”

Breakfast and family worship were over, such of their effects as they would be likely to need during the few days of their expected stay at Ion, had been packed and sent, the family carriage was at the door, and every body nearly ready to get into it, when there was an arrival.

Harold and Herbert had come over on horseback, Rosie and Evelyn in the Ion carriage.

They came running in with their “Merry Christmases and Happy New Years,” to receive a return in kind.

“Don’t think for a moment that we have come to prevent you from accepting your invitation to Ion as promptly as possible,” said Herbert gaily; “we’ve come after you, and are glad to perceive, in your attire, signs of readiness to depart.”

“But we want to peep at your tree first,” put in Rosie, “that’s one thing that brought us.”

“And we’ve a proposal to make,” said Harold; “namely that you all accompany us to the Oaks for a short call on Uncle Horace and the rest and their Christmas tree of course before going over to Ion.  The air is delightfully bracing, the roads are good, and if we find there is time, perhaps we might as well extend our ride to the Laurels, and give Aunt Rose a call, in case we reach there before the family have left home for Ion.  What do you say captain? and you Vi?”

Both approved, and the children were much pleased with the idea.  But they wanted first to have time to show their presents to Rosie and Evelyn.

That was granted, the callers were all taken in to see the tree, dog, bird and pussy were exhibited, the pretty things found in the stockings also, and when all had been duly admired they set out upon their jaunt.

The four little girls, Rosie, Evelyn, Lulu and Grace, had the Ion carriage to themselves, and full of life and spirits, enjoyed their drive extremely.

Both calls were made, only a short time spent at each place hardly more than enough for an exchange of greetings and a hasty examination, of the Christmas trees and gifts then they drove on to Ion, and the holiday festivities so long looked forward to by the young people with such eager expectation and delight, began.

The first thing of course was to take a view of the Christmas tree and the presents.

Rosie and Evelyn had declined to tell what they were until they could show them, even refusing to answer Lulu’s eager query, put while they were driving to the Oaks, “O Rosie, did your mamma give you the set of pearls you wanted so badly?”

“Wait till we get to Ion and I’ll show you all my presents; I received a good many and ought not to fret if I did not get everything I wanted,” was what Rosie said in reply, and Lulu, understanding it to mean that there was some disappointment, concluded that the pearls had not been given.

She was the more convinced of it when the presents on and about the tree had been displayed and no pearls among them.

Rosie seemed in excellent spirits, however, and Lulu thought she had good reason to be, for the gifts she showed as hers were many and desirable.

The guests, all relatives or connections, arrived within a few minutes of each other and for a little while were all gathered together in the tree room as the children called it for the time and a very merry, lively set they were.

But presently they scattered to their respective rooms to dress for dinner, or at least to remove their outside garments.

The Raymonds were given the same apartments that had been appropriated to them when living at Ion; Gracie sharing Lulu’s room, which communicated directly with the one where the captain and Violet would sleep.

Rosie went with the little girls to their room, to see that they had everything to make them comfortable, because, as she said, they were her guests this time.

“You don’t need to change your dresses, I am sure,” she remarked as they threw off their coats.

“No,” replied Lulu, “these are what papa told us to wear for the rest of the day, and they are as suitable and pretty as any we have.”

“Yes, they’re lovely,” said Rosie; “your papa does dress you beautifully.  I, too, am dressed for the day, and I’d like you both to come to my room for a while.  Eva is there taking off her things; she’s to share my room while the house is so full.  I thought you would want Eva for your bedfellow, but mamma said your father would want his two little girls close beside him.”

“Yes, and that’s where we like to be,” Lulu answered quickly and in a very pleasant tone.  “It seems like home here in this room, too.  Now we’re ready to go with you, Rosie; we’ve got our things off and seen that our hair is all right.”

Rosie led the way to her room where they found, not Eva only, but all the little girl cousins, having a chat while waiting for the summons to dinner.

Rosie hastily threw off her coat and hat, then opening a bureau drawer, took from it a jewel case saying with a look of exultation, “I have something to show you, girls, mamma’s Christmas gift to me;” and raising the lid she displayed a beautiful pearl necklace and bracelets.

“So she did give them to you!” they exclaimed in surprised chorus, for they had supposed all the presents had been already shown them.  “O Rosie, how lovely!”

“I’m ever so glad for you Rosie,” said Lulu; “but I’d about made up my mind that Grandma Elsie thought about buying the pearls for you as papa did about the ring I wanted.”

“Mamma didn’t buy them,” explained Rosie; “they are a set grandpa gave her when she was a little girl; and I think they are as handsome as any she could have found any where.  She said she valued them very highly as his gift, but would never wear them again, and as I am her own little girl, she was willing to give them to me.”

“I think you’re pretty big, Rosie,” remarked Grace.

“Yes; in my fifteenth year; almost a woman, as grandpa tells me sometimes when he wants to make me ashamed of not being wiser and better I suppose,” returned Rosie with a laugh, closing the casket and returning it to the drawer, just as Betty, the little maid, showed her black face and woolly head at the half open door with the announcement, “Dinnah’s ready, Miss Rosie; an’ all de folks gwine into de dinnin’ room.”

“Very well; we’re not sorry to hear it, are we girls?  Let us pair off and go down at once to secure our fair share,” said Rosie gaily.  “There’s just an even number of us Maud and Lora, Lulu and Eva, Grace and Rosie Lacey, Sydney and I. We’re to have a table to ourselves; I asked mamma if we might, and she gave consent.”

“I like that,” remarked Sydney with satisfaction; “we can have our own fun and eat what we please without anybody to trouble us with suggestions that perhaps such and such articles of food may not agree with us.”

“But we’ll be in the same room with the older folks and they can overlook us if they see fit,” said Rosie.

“And I’d rather have papa to tell me what to eat,” said Grace.

They were hurrying down the stairs as they talked and reached the dining room just in time to take their places before the blessing was asked by Mr. Dinsmore at the larger table.

It was a grand dinner of many courses, and a good deal of time, enlivened by cheerful chat, was spent at the table.

Quiet games mirth provoking, yet requiring little exertion of mind or body filled up the remainder of the afternoon.

After tea they had romping games, but at nine o’clock were called together for family worship; then the younger ones, including Lulu and Grace, went to their beds; very willingly too, for the day begun so early because of their eagerness to examine their stockings had been an unusually long and exciting one; so that they felt ready for rest.

Grace indeed was so weary that her father carried her up to her room, and did not leave her till she was snug in bed.

She dropped asleep the instant her head touched the pillow and he stood for a moment gazing a little anxiously at her pale face.

“You don’t think Gracie’s sick, papa, do you?” asked Lulu softly.

“No, I trust she will be all right in the morning the darling! but she seems quite worn out now,” he sighed.

Then sitting down he drew Lulu into his arms.  “Has it been a happy day with you, dear child?” he asked.

“Yes, papa, very; just full of pleasure; and now that night has come, I’m so glad that I have my own dear papa to hug me up close, and that he’s going to sleep in the next room to Gracie and me.”

“I’m glad too,” he said.  “Yes, we have a great deal to be thankful for you and I. Most of all for God’s unspeakable gift the dear Saviour whose birth and life and death have bought all our other blessings for us.

“My child, try to keep in mind always, even when engaged in your sports, that you are his and must so act and speak as to bring no disgrace upon his cause; make it your constant endeavor to honor him in all your words and ways.”

“I do mean to, papa; but oh it is so easy to forget!”

“I know it, my darling; I find it so too; but we must watch and pray, asking God earnestly night and morning, on our knees, to keep us from temptation and from sin, and often sending up a swift, silent petition from our hearts at other times when we feel that we need help to overcome.

“I want you, my little daughter, to be particularly on the watch against your besetting sin an inclination to sudden outbursts of passion.  It is not to be expected that everything will move on as smoothly, with so many children and young people together, every day, as they have to-day, and I fear you will be strongly tempted at times to give way to your naturally quick temper.”

“Oh I am afraid so too papa; and it would be perfectly dreadful if I should!” she said with a half shudder, twining her arm round his neck and hiding her face on his shoulder.  “Oh won’t you ask God to help me to keep from it?”

“Yes, I shall, I do every night and morning, and we will ask him together now.”