expected it; all which specimens of his talents were received with due
applause by his admiring brothers and sisters.

The bumble-bee had just been caught (for the twenty-first time) with a
loud smack on brother Benjamin's ear, when the door opened, and
Paterfamilias entered with Materfamilias (whose headache was better),
and followed by the candles. A fresh log was then thrown upon the
fire, the yule cakes and furmety were put upon the table, and
everybody drew round to supper; and Paterfamilias announced that
although he could not give the materials to play with, he had no
objection now to a bowl of moderate punch for all, and that Richard
might compound it. This was delightful; and as he sat by his father,
ladling away to the rest, Adolphus Brown could hardly have felt more
jovial, even with the champagne and ices.

The rest sat with radiant faces and shining heads in goodly order; and
at the bottom of the table, by Materfamilias, was the friend, as happy
in his unselfish sympathy as if his twenty-five sticks had come to
life, and were supping with him. As happy--nearly--as if a certain
woman's grave had never been dug under the southern sun that could not
save her, and as if the children gathered round him were those of
whose faces he had often dreamt, but might never see.

His health had been drunk, and everybody else's too, when, just as
supper was coming to a close, Richard (who had been sitting in
thoughtful silence for some minutes) got up with sudden resolution,
and said,

"I want to propose Mr. What's-his-name's health on my own account. I
want to thank him for his story, which had only one mistake in it.