“Aunty,” said Agnes one day, in a confidential tone, “I should like to make a needle-book for mamma, like the one cousin Emily is making for Effie.  She says she will show me, and fix it for me, and I think I can do it.  Do you think mamma would like it?”

“Certainly, darling, I should think she would like it; I do not see how any mamma could help being pleased with anything her little girl made for her.”

“But, aunty,” said Agnes, as if speaking of a well-known and acknowledged fact, “you know mamma doesn’t love me much, and perhaps it would trouble her.”

The sad tone in which these words were said brought tears to the eyes of Mrs. Wharton, but still she encouraged Agnes to go on with the needle-book.  It was not a very complicated affair, and Emily arranged all the most difficult parts; but still it was a work of time, and one requiring much patience and perseverance on the part of so young a child as Agnes.  However, it was at length completed on the day before Christmas, and, when handed about for inspection, was much admired by all her friends.  Agnes was very happy, for on Christmas day her uncle was to take her over home to see Lewie, who called for her constantly, her aunt said.  Mammy had walked over too, to see her little girl, and she told her that “Lewie was greetin’ for ‘sister’ from morn till night.”

The day before Christmas came, and with it the party at Brook Farm was augmented by the arrival of Mrs. Ellison, a younger sister of Mr. Wharton’s, her husband and baby, a beautiful child of about a year old.  There was great joy at the arrival of “Aunt Fanny,” who was very lively, and always ready to enter with glee into the frolics and sports of the children.

As they were sitting at the dinner table that day, Mr. Wharton said: 

“I have received certain information that Santa Claus himself is to visit us to-night, and bring his gifts in person.  He desires me to inform the children, that all packages to be entrusted to his care must be handed into my study, labelled and directed, before six o’clock this evening.”

Many were the wonders and speculations as to the nature and appearance of the expected Santa Claus; but they were suddenly interrupted by Robert, who exclaimed: 

“Why, who comes here up the lane?  It’s old cousin Betty, I do declare, in her old green gig set on runners.”

“I thought cousin Betty would hardly let Christmas go by without making her appearance,” said Mrs. Wharton; “I have thought two or three times to-day that she might come along before night.”

“Cousin Betty” was a distant relation of Mrs. Wharton’s, a lonely old body, who lodged with a relative in a village about ten miles distant from Brook Farm.  She was very eccentric—­so much so, that she was by some thought crazy; but Mrs. Wharton was of opinion that cousin Betty had never possessed sufficient mind to subject her to such a calamity.  She was more silly than crazy, very good-natured, very inquisitive as to the affairs of others, and very communicative as to her own.