“Ah! then it was Lulu who was afraid, was it?”

“Oh no, sir!  Lu’s never afraid of anything.”

“Indeed; you seem to have a high opinion of her courage!  You need never, either of you, be afraid or ashamed of anything but sin, my darlings,” he added, more gravely.  “If you are God’s children, nothing can harm you.  He will watch over us through the dark and silent night while we are wrapped in slumber.  ’Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber or sleep.’”

“I’m so glad the Bible tells us that, papa,” she said; “but I’m glad, too, that you sleep in the next room, and have the door open always at night, so that if I should want you, you could easily hear me call, and come to me.”

“Yes,” he said, “and neither of my little girls need ever hesitate for a moment to call for their father if they are ill or troubled in any way.

“Ah I see the stockings hanging one on each side of the fire place.  But how is Santa Claus to tell which is Lulu’s and which Gracie’s?”

“Why we never thought of that!” exclaimed Lulu, laughing.  “But mine’s a little the largest, and it’s red and Gracie’s is blue.  Don’t you suppose, papa, that he’ll be smart enough to guess which is which?”

“I think it is likely, but you will have to take the risk,” replied her father.  Then with a good night kiss he left them to their slumbers.

Day was faintly dawning when Lulu awoke.  “Merry Christmas, Gracie!” she whispered in her sister’s ear.  “I’m going to get our stockings and see if there is anything in ’em,” and with a bound she was out on the floor and stealing across it to the fireplace, with care to make no noise.

She could not refrain, however, from a delighted “Oh!” as she laid hold of the stockings and felt that they were stuffed full of something.

“Did he come? is there something in ’em?” whispered Grace, as Lulu came back to the bedside.

“Yes, yes, indeed! they’re just as full as they can be!  I’ve brought ’em; here’s yours,” putting it into Gracie’s hands and getting into bed again.  “Let’s pull the things out and feel what they are, though we can’t see much till it gets lighter.”

“Yes, let’s,” said Grace; “I couldn’t bear to wait.”

They thought they were keeping very quiet, but Lu’s “Oh!” had wakened her father and Violet and they were lying quietly listening and laughing softly to themselves.

There was a rustle of paper, then Gracie’s voice in a loud whisper, “Oh another dolly for me! and I just know it’s lovely!  I can feel its hair, and its dress; it’s all dressed!”

Then Lulu’s, “A potato! just a horrid, raw Irish potato!  What do I want with that?”

“And I’ve got one too!” from Grace.  “Oh well, I s’pose that was to fill up, and maybe there’s something nice lower down.”

“A sweet potato or a parsnip or something of that kind in mine,” said Lulu, some slight vexation in her tone.  “Oh well, I’ve had so many nice things, and this is only for fun.”