VIII. THE FAIRY BOX

IX. A HOLE IN THE WALL

X. THE PIGGY GIRL



[Illustration: She actually stood in "a grove of Christmas trees."]




I.

A CHRISTMAS DREAM, AND HOW IT CAME TRUE.


"I'm so tired of Christmas I wish there never would be another one!"
exclaimed a discontented-looking little girl, as she sat idly watching
her mother arrange a pile of gifts two days before they were to be given.

"Why, Effie, what a dreadful thing to say! You are as bad as old Scrooge;
and I'm afraid something will happen to you, as it did to him, if you
don't care for dear Christmas," answered mamma, almost dropping the silver
horn she was filling with delicious candies.

"Who was Scrooge? What happened to him?" asked Effie, with a glimmer of
interest in her listless face, as she picked out the sourest lemon-drop