Some aunts and uncles, too, arrived a day or two before Christmas,
with some small cousins. These cousins occupied the attention of
the little boys, and there was a great deal of whispering and
mystery, behind doors, and under the stairs, and in the corners of
the entry.

Solomon John was busy, privately making some candles for the
tree. He had been collecting some bayberries, as he understood
they made very nice candles, so that it would not be necessary to
buy any.

The elders of the family never all went into the back parlor
together, and all tried not to see what was going on. Mrs. Peterkin
would go in with Solomon John, or Mr. Peterkin with Elizabeth
Eliza, or Elizabeth Eliza and Agamemnon and Solomon John. The
little boys and the small cousins were never allowed even to look
inside the room.

Elizabeth Eliza meanwhile went into town a number of times. She
wanted to consult Amanda as to how much ice-cream they should
need, and whether they could make it at home, as they had cream
and ice. She was pretty busy in her own room; the furniture had to
be changed, and the carpet altered. The "hump" was higher than
she expected. There was danger of bumping her own head
whenever she crossed it. She had to nail some padding on the
ceiling for fear of accidents.

The afternoon before Christmas, Elizabeth Eliza, Solomon John,
and their father collected in the back parlor for a council. The