CHAPTER TWELFTH.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

The conversation last recorded, between Emilie and Joe, took place a few days before Christmas.  Every one noticed that Joe was more silent and thoughtful than usual, but he was not so morose; he received the little attentions of his friend more gratefully, and was especially fond of having Emilie talk to him, sing to him, or read to him.  Emilie and her aunt were spending a few days at the Parkers’ house, and it seemed to add very much to Joe’s comfort.  This Emilie was like a spirit of peace pervading the whole family.  She was so sure to win Edith to obey her mamma, to stop John if he went a little too far in his jokes with his sister, to do sundry little services for Mrs. Parker, and to make herself such an agreeable companion to Emma, and Caroline, that they all agreed they wished that they had her always with them.  Edith confessed to Emilie one day that she thought Emma and Caroline wonderfully improved, and as to her mamma, how very seldom she was cross now.

“We are very apt to think other persons in fault when we ourselves are cross and irritable, this may have been the case here, Edith, may it not?”

“Well! perhaps so, but I am sure I am much happier than I was, Emilie.”

“‘Great peace have they that love God’s law,’ my dear, ’and nothing shall offend them.’  What a gospel of peace it is Edith, is it not?”

The great work in hand, just now, was the Christmas tree.  These Christmas trees are becoming very common in our English homes, and the idea, like many more beautiful, bright, domestic thoughts, is borrowed from the Germans.  You may be sure that Emilie and aunt Agnes were quite up to the preparations for this Christmas tree, and so much the more welcome were they as Christmas guests.

“I have plenty of money,” said Joe, “but I don’t know, somehow, what sort of present to make, Miss Schomberg, yet I think I might pay for all the wax lights and ornaments, and the filagree work you talk of.”

“A capital thought,” said Emilie, and she took his purse, promising to lay out what was needful to the best advantage.  Joe helped Emilie and the Miss Parkers very efficiently as he lay “useless,” he said, but they thought otherwise, and gave him many little jobs of pasting, gumming, etc.  It was a beautiful tree, I assure you; but Joe had a great deal of mysterious talk with Emilie, apart from the rest, which, however, we must not divulge until Christmas eve.  A little box came from London on the morning of the day, directed to Joe.  Edith was very curious to know its contents; so was Fred, so was John; Emilie only smiled.