"Clear your throats, friends," shouted his father, up the road,
"an' let fly--"

As I sat on a sunny bank,
--A sunny bank, a sunny bank,
As I sat on a sunny bank
On Chris'mas day i' the mornin,

I saw dree ships come sailin' by,
--A-sailin' by, a-sailin' by,
I saw dree ships come sailin' by
On Chris'mas day i' the mornin'.

Now who shud be i' these dree ships--


And to this measure Zeb and Ruby stepped home.

At the cottage door Zeb thanked the singers, who went their way and
flung back shouts and joyful wishes as they went. Before making all
fast for the night, he stood a minute or so, listening to their voices
as they died away down the road. As he barred the door, he turned and
saw that Ruby had lit the lamp, and was already engaged in setting the
kitchen to rights; for, of course, no such home-coming had been dreamt
of in the morning, and all was in disorder. He stood and watched her
for a while, then turned to the window.

After a minute or two, finding that he did not speak, she too came to
the window. He bent and kissed her.