it for a surprise. I made it by your wife's recipe."

She held an open Mason jar under Amos' nose.

"Mince meat!" he exclaimed. "Why, Lizzie, where'd you get the makings?"

"Oh, a bit here and a bit there for the last two months. Ain't it
grand?" offering a smell to each of the children, who sniffed
ecstatically.

When the baby was safely asleep, Lydia appeared with two stockings
which she hung on chair backs by the stove in the living-room.

"I'm putting them up to hold the candy," she explained to her father,
suggestively.

He rose obediently and produced half a dozen oranges and a bag of candy.

"Oh, that's gorgeous," cried Lydia, whose spirits to-night were not to
be quenched. She brought in the doll house.

"See, Daddy," she said, with the pride of the master builder. "I
colored it with walnut juice. And I found the wall paper in the attic."

Amos got down on his knees and examined the tiny rooms and the cigar
box furniture. He chuckled delightedly. "I swan," he said, "if
Patience doesn't want it you can give it to me!"

"I'm going to let Lizzie put the candy in the stockings," mused Lydia,
"then I'll have that to look forward to. I'm going to bed right now,