Johnny Cricket on his shoulder; and Black-eyed Susan bringing up the
rear--a very big rear she was, Father said, for Susan weighed
considerably more than her heaviest clothes-basket.

And so the doors opened!

"Glory be!" sang out Susan, and in that she expressed the feelings of
every one in the long procession that entered the parlor. It
_was_ "glory"--that light, that shining, that radiance! Wreaths
in the window, festoons overhead, presents heaped up in the corner and
on the floor--and the Tree, the Tree!

It was covered with golden ornaments, and red and silver and blue, and
it was draped with strings of popcorn and festoons of red cranberries,
flung so gracefully over it, and everywhere, between the green twigs
of the spruce and the red, and the gold, and the blue, and the silver
of the ornaments and festoons, scores of little candles were shining
brightly, twinkling like the stars--like very Heaven come down to
earth before their eyes.

Life has many happy moments and many happy times to offer, but nothing
more wonderful than a beautiful shining tree bursting on the sight
after one has waited all day, no--really for weeks and months.

For ten minutes they all stood and gazed at that tree. Mother and
Father were smiling happily; Susan clasped her hands and very properly
said "Glory" again; the children danced; Mrs. Cricket wiped the
corners of her eyes with her rusty-black shawl; and little Johnny
Cricket just sat there in delight.