The Battle Ground

n the broad drive where the wheel ruts had frozen into ribbons of ice. The naked boughs of the old elms on the lawn tapped the peaked r

lver punch bowl half hidden in its wreath of evergreens. Behind them the panelled parlour was aglow with warmth, and on its shinin

tor's glass, let the ladle fall with a

s in the drive. No, bless my soul, it's wheels! The Governor's he

wl. "I really think, Mr. Lightfoot, that the house would be more comfortable if you'd be content to keep the front door closed," she found time to remark. "Do take your glas

ou with, and the biggest log in the woods for you to look at. Ah, come in, come in," and he led Miss Lydia, in her white wool "fascinator," into the house where Mrs. Lightfoot stood waiting with open arms and the apple toddy. The Governor had insisted upon carrying his wife, lest she chill her feet, and Betty and Virginia, in their long cloaks, fluttered across the snow and up the steps. As they reached the hall, the Major caught them in his arms and soundly kissed them. "It isn't Christmas every day, you know," h

e cried, in aggrieved tones, when

was fond of apple toddy, but she regarded the taste as an indelicate one

to Betty, as the girl took her glass

er family. She was standing under the mistletoe in her light blue cloak and hood bord

e pretty effusion the old man loved. "It

hould never have forgiven you," she laughed; "but he always puts it nicely, Major, doesn't he? I made him the other day a plum pudding of my very own,-I wouldn't even let Aunt Floretta seed the raisins,-and when

olitics," said the Major, refilling his glass. "On my word, he co

he Governor. "Julia, can't you i

Ambler, turning from a discussion of h

the reply he made to Plaintain Dudley when he asked him for his political influence, you haven't the kind of husband, ma'am, th

usness was the only serious thing about him. "Your secrets are like apples,

or; and it's Plaintain Dudley, after all, that we're concerned with. Do you remember Plaintain, Mrs.

rs. Ambler, smiling at the Governo

andkerchief. 'May I ask your opinion of me, sir?' he had the audacity to begin, and the Governor! Bless my soul, ma'am, the Governor bowed his politest bow, and replied with his pleasantest smile, 'My opi

nor. "Why, he swindled women, Major. It was a

company, or a 'possum by his grin." Then he raised a well-filled glass and gave a toast that brought even Mr. Bill upon his feet,

th a smile, "To the angels who t

" added the rector, rising from his seat

e girls ran up the crooked stair to lay asi

olding the lighted candle, with its sprig of holly, above her head. The tall girlish figure, in its flounces of organdy muslin,

sion-a vision!" sh

over her slim white shoulders. "It's the first time I've dressed lik

rose in place, do you think?" She had fastened a white rose in t

ders shrinking from the frosted pane. "What a long ride the boys have had, and how cold they'll be. Why, the ground is quite covered with snow." Betty, with the cand

ing cloaks," said Virgin

tripped bare for the cold. How I should like to warm you, you dear things," she added, going to the window. Against the tossing branches her hair m

head when she met Jack Montjoy at the end of the drive. He wrapped her in his cape, and they rode like mad to the town-and she was laughin

id not answer. "I wonder if he were in the

e chin, and Dan has that, too. Oh, every one says that Dan's the image of his father, except

grave, and with a last look at the glass, they cau

ily, throwing a knitted scarf over her head as they went from the back porch along the covered way that led to the brick kitchen. "She insists that yours is the only palate in all the country she will permit to pass judgmen

ontempt, with which she lashed the circle of house servants who had gathered to her assistance. "You des lemme alont now," was the advice she royally offered. "Ef you gwine ax me w'at you'd better do, I des tell you right now, you'd better lemme alont. Ca'line

with pride to the shelves and tables bending beneath her various creations. "I'se done stuff dat ar pig so full er ches

so small and pink, Aunt Rhody, I don't

ull," returned Aunt Rh

foot; "and be sure to bake the hams until the juice runs th

be no better dinner on Jedgment Day nurr, I don' cyar who gwine cook h

proaching spoon; and Betty tasted and pronounced it excellent, "and

do des shoot fire," she exclaimed admiringly. "I dunno whar de beaux done hid deyse'ves dese days; hit's a wonn

do, Rhody," she cautioned; "you will let the turkeys burn," but a

hody," she said; "he put it under the joists in yo

s dey give Christmas gifts same es de Lawd he give chillun-dey des han's out w'at dey's got on dey han's, wid no stiddyin' 'bout de tase. Sakes

a snort from the fireplace. "Husban' y

t, sternly; "and, Rhody, you ought to be ashame

ted the indignant Ca'

he old lady, as she lifted her silk skirt

y?" He was calling from the front steps, and the sound of tramping feet rang in the drive below. Against the whiteness of the storm Big Abel's fa

, Champe rushed into the hal

y. "If you keep this up, Aunt Molly, there'll be a second Ligh

with pleasure, "or there'll be a second Ananias as well.

d a powdering of snow on his dark hair. He had grown bigger and older in the last few months, and the Lightfoot eyes, with the Lightfoot twinkle in their

hospitality for the last three miles. Grandpa, this is my friend Morson-Jack Mor

ut both hands. "You're welcome, gentlemen, as welcome as Christmas-wha

before meat, you know. So here you are, grandma, cap an

e laughter still in them, they blazed with approval of her beauty. "Oh, but do you know, how did you

ded Virginia, blushing, "not half so much t

Then I may presume that it is me

, to gr

ht of Betty, and held out his hand again. "And you, lit

smile the Major loved. "I content myself wi

you barely rea

greater part of

Dan, and Betty coloured ben

the Major came out, with Mrs. Ambler

ter the rector's grace, he stood waving the carving-knife above the roasted turkey. "I'

eadily. He was a hearty, light-haired young fellow, with a girlish complexion and pale blue ey

the long ride, upon the Major. "I was too busy thinking we should nev

, with an uneasy glance through the window, "and I trust that Mrs. Blake's re

got makes me fairly ashamed of going to college in his place; and I may as well warn you, Mr. Blake, that when I get rea

ng to your own deserts, my boy," responded the rector, who

le clearer than the tavern road to-night," said Champe.

ers, my lad? It will be no ill wind that keeps them beneath our roof. We'll make room f

hearty assent; but the Governor laughed and threw back

ou see, and he could take us along the turnpike blindfold. Why, he actually discovered in passing just

haven't even fixed the servants' Christmas, and Betty has

m, if I have to go before you with a shovel and clear the snow away. So just a bit more of this roast pig, just a bit, Govern

nd the rector. Mr. Bill and the doctor, neither of whom could have told a story for his life, listened with a kind o

ment. There was a puzzled wonder in her mind that Dan-the Dan of her childhood-should have become for her, of a sudden, but a strong, black-haired stranger from whom she shrank with a swift timidity. She looked at Champe's high blue-veined forehead and curling brown hair; he was still the big boy she had played with; but when she went back to Dan, the wonder returned with a kind of irritation, and she felt that she should like to shake him and ha

etty look" was in her face,-so kind a look, so earnest yet so humorous, with a sweet sane humour at her own bewilderment, that it held his eyes an instant before they plunged back t

n, or himself, in a week they would all be over head and ears in love with her, and let him win who might. It was mere folly, of course, to break one's heart over a girl, and there was no chance of that so long as he had his horses and the bull pups to fall back upon; but she was deucedly pretty

bout her window garden, while Jack Morson made desperate love to his beautiful neighbour. Once, indeed, he drew Betty aside for an instant, but it was only to whisper: "Look here, you'll be real nice to

Diggs shall have a merry Christmas, and the fox

cost him his heart, perhaps, but there was a life at stake, and Betty, who had not a touch of the coquette in her nature, would have flirted open-eyed with the

s she did so, that the white rose was gone from her hair. "I hope I lost it after supper," she thought rather wistfully, for it was becoming; and then she slipped into her long cloak and started

is face. For an instant he held the white rose beneath his eyes, then he carefully folded it in his handkerchief and hid it in the pocket of his coat. As he

er hood. "This little lady isn't afraid of the cold," said the Major, as he pinched her cheeks. "Why, she's as warm as a toast, and, bless my soul,

rting Miss Lydia to the carriage

I'll show grandpa that t

e when your grandfather's by. There, I'll let you carry the sleeping draught for Aunt Pussy; but my flo

by Jack Morson, and the carriage rolled slowly along the dri

or waited to bar the door, "remember, you've known her but three hours, and stand it like a man. Well

e holidays, he found his cousin, upon the hea

the poker in his hand, and spoke

auty, I dec

his whistling, and

was fifty years ago,

tter ass; you know

ect of your attentions. You mustn't be a Don Juan, yo

oot that was lying on the rug. "

Aunt Emmeline's picture can't touch her. He's writing to his father now, I don't

ll thank him to mind his o

inks he's

'll have him to know it. What right has he got, I'd like to

ou ran him away from Batt Horsford's daughter

irl, too; and I'll fight any man who says she isn't. By Ge

with a whistle, "ther

ht the boot, and carefully set it beside the door. "Well, she's welcome to be, as far as I'm concer

!" said Dan, and