Aladdin felt very fine when he found the cave-full of precious stones, but I don’t believe he was much happier than Mrs. Boyd.  Her eyes were so full of tears that there seemed to be about eight pairs of shoes, ten bags, and half a dozen Mr. Boyds; but she managed to lay hands on the real one, and him she embraced fervently.  Then she brought out the cookies and sugar balls she had made, and said to her husband, in a very shame-faced way: 

“See my poor presents; I didn’t know the children would have anything nice, and I made these.  I guess I wont put ’em in their stockings though, now.”

But Mr. Boyd insisted on their going in with the other things, and I think they were prized by the children a little more dearly, if such a thing could be possible, than those which they called their “boughten” presents.

Now, I can’t begin to describe the joyful time they had the next morning, and particularly, the utter astonishment of Jack, who didn’t expect a thing, and hadn’t even hung up a stocking.  When that devoted boy recognized one of his own gray socks crammed full of knobs and bunches, with a beautiful plush cap on top, he was almost out of his wits.  Likewise, Mrs. Boyd’s surprise was great at the discovery of her new dress.  The little girls were too happy that day to do much else but count and arrange and re-arrange their delightful Christmas presents.

Mr. Boyd killed a chicken, and Jack contributed four quails which he had caught since market-day, and the festival of Christmas was kept with much hilarity by the Boyd family.

The neighbors, one by one, were surprised that Mr. Boyd hadn’t dropped in, as he usually did on Sundays and holidays.  But Mr. Boyd was engaged elsewhere.  And this was only the beginning of good days for that family, for, somehow, the Christmas feeling seemed to last through all the year with Mr. Boyd, and through many other years; and the little ball set rolling by Jack with his quail-traps, grew to be a mighty globe of happiness for the whole family.

LEFT OUT.

By A.G.W.

  One day, St. Nicholas made a complaint: 
  “I think it’s quite plain why they call me a saint. 
  I wonder if any one happens to see
  That nobody ever makes presents to me;
  That I, who make presents to ever so many,
  Am the only poor fellow who never gets any!”

MISS ALCOTT,

THE FRIEND OF LITTLE WOMEN AND OF LITTLE MEN.

BY F.B.S.

[Illustration]