"I don't see what else you want, I'm sure," answered the boy
thoughtfully. "I mean if it's a big turkey and there's enough
ice-cream--cream-cakes, maybe. You get good cream-cakes at Bangs's, two
for five cents. They're not very big, but they're all right inside--all
gooey, you know. Can you think of anything else?"

"Not to eat!"

"Oh, well then, what's the matter with our Christmas? I can't see. No
school and heaps of good gobbles."

"Good what?" Overholt looked at the boy with an inquiring glance, and
then understood. "I see! Is that the proper word?"

"When there's lots, it is," answered Newton with conviction. "Of course,
there are all sorts of things I'd like to have, but it's no good
wishing you could lay Columbus's egg and hatch the American eagle, is
it?[Footnote: The writer acknowledges his indebtedness for this fact in
natural and national history to his aunt, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, to whom
it was recently revealed in the course of making an excellent speech.]
What would you like, father, if you could choose?"

"Three things," answered Overholt promptly. "I should like to see that
wheel going round, softly and steadily, all Christmas Day. I should like
to see that door open and your mother coming in."

"You bet I would too!" cried Newton, dropping from bold metaphor to
vulgar vernacular. "Well, what's the third thing? You said there were
three."