In the Yule-Log Glow, Book I

and demanded admittance for their oncoming master, had left at each house a gift of golden cheerfulness. The sky above was so blithe and blue

Tripple was early in his shop, presumptively to attend to some forgotten duties, but, as he did not pay very active attention to anything but carefully tying up a square box in white paper, and as he did pay very active attention to what went on up-stairs, at the same time exhibiting no hurry to get home to dinner, David, who had, towards noon, gone around the corner with Polly to make some little purchases of groceries before the stores closed, dropped in on his way back and invited Mr. Tripple up-stairs. Mr. Tripple at first firmly refused, and said, "Very much obliged, Dave, but couldn't think of it. Indeed not. They'd 'spect me at home, ye know, Dave." Whereupon Miss Polly added her entreaties, and said he

ly to Dolly, and, intrusting her with the box, whispered,-"Go and hand that to

, Mr. T

d and smiling broadly, "a little so

it, which, when lifted apart, discovered a heap of sweetmeats. Dolly and Molly, looking on, ex

, saying, "I thought 'twould be kind a appropriate to

es, and there was good humor and laughing until the twins darted away to got dinner, which w

fered grace. Mr. Tripple and the girls were slowly raising their bowed heads, when a

all exc

d a very fragrant smell of roasted fowl, in the arms of the returning Molly. Once in the room, the lid was off in a twinkling, and out came a sizable p

threw the napkins into the basket a card fell on the floor

could actually be heard as he ran on: "Why, there never was such a year for the china trade, Tripple, and how could he forget me? Jacob Tripple, your hand! A kiss, Little Scout! Why, your old father's 'most young again, and his good girls shall dine like other good g

eing remembered, and at the far more grateful thought th

young Cuffy from the baker's, and all he said was, 'David Dubbs,-to be sent-card inside,' and then kissing his hand, and cryi

so much, and never had a

marking that if he had his way she should live forever on turkey and sugar-plums. David ventured to say that that course of diet would be pretty indigestive, whereupon Mr. Tri

ked boldly around the board as a man who had said a very bright thing indeed, after which survey he broke out into a not very comfortable laugh

intentions of Mr. Tripple were impending and ready to fall into open profession on the slightest encouragement. The Little Scout's pinched and pal

e. I knew you were thinking about to-day and the poor dinner. How ki

and kissing her with boyish contempt of aged bones; "and so you

s of a score of others, struck one; but the company little heeded that, and the conviviality was far from diminishing wh

n and came back in a moment

ddressed to his store, but he said it was important, and, know

" said David,

replied Polly

is it?). Sent off on a graceless errand for nothing, perhaps. But his kind employer, who had done so much for his comfort and joy that very day, must not suffer by his neglect, and off he must post; that was imperative. Mr. Tripple offered his services when David had started down-stairs, and when there was no chance of his turning back, but David said, "No, no, Tripple;