Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper

e busy, as is usual at this season, with little plans for increasing the gladness of my happy household. The name of

rosy lips, close to my ear, as I stood at the

uple of bright eyes, the roguish owner of which had climbe

weet lips, but

Kriss Kringle?" pers

ou know?" sai

mma. Wh

-he is-Kris

Say, won't y

comes home," I r

out suffering very severe pangs of conscience. Dear little creatures! how fully they believed, at first, the story; how soberly and confidingly they

d if there be in it a leaven of w

?" persisted my little interrogat

aw him, de

apa se

when he c

elegant carriage and four horses, with a

l him to bring you just

The dear child clapped his

uess

ly. And then, as if some new impression had crossed his mind,

lding grave counsel on some subject of importance; at least to themselves. They became silent at my presence; but soon b

y cherry-lipped boy asking of Mr. Smith

ough that the enquirer did no

ere not in very good appeti

out to buy presents for our little ones, while I took

ang on the branches of the tree, or leave upon the table, his gifts for the children. This was our arrangement. The little ones expressed some doubts as to whether Kriss

ll find his way here," was

ow, mother? Have y

I k

ir enquiries, and hu

y were snugly under their warm blankets and comfor

hem to their pe

ys, and the like. At this work I had been some fifteen or twenty minutes, and had, I will own, become a little nervous. My domestic had gone out, and I was alone in the house. Once or twi

lf. But again and again the same

robber concealed

a relief when I heard my husband's key in the door, followed by the sou

act of unloading his pockets, he

. I caught a glance of h

ha

ues are in the next room, peeping th

ent with

Kriss Kringle is," added my husb

o show you something

instantly, not so much as glancing to

smothered tittering on the stairway. Then all was still, and we descended to the parlors

esuming my work of decorating the Christmas tree, "Who could have believed the

is face as I saw it, just peering from under the table cloth, h

t! He's a dear

I help s

lf the pleasure of the whole

mph on Will's face. I understand now what all their whisperings meant this af

urious bodies,"

and became really nervous for a while. I heard the breathing of some one near me

ttle incident, while we ar

phant affirmation of one and another of the children

?" said I, tryi

it is

Kringle! How

now! We f

dee

from the time when they found out who Kriss Kringle was. It is all to no purpose that we pleasantly suggest the possibility of their having drea

reatly would we promote their good, and increase the measure of their enjoyment. Not alone at Christmas time, but all the year should we remember and care for their pl