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I always give myself a Christmas present.

And on this particular year the present was a carol party, which is about as good fun, all things consenting kindly, as a man can have.

Many things must consent, as will appear.  First of all, there must be good sleighing; and second, a fine night for Christmas eve.  Ours are not the carollings of your poor shivering little East Angles or South Mercians, where they have to plod round afoot in countries which do not know what a sleigh-ride is.

I had asked Harry to have sixteen of the best voices in the chapel school to be trained to five or six good carols, without knowing why.  We did not care to disappoint them if a February thaw setting in on the 24th of December should break up the spree before it began.  Then I had told Howland that he must reserve for me a span of good horses, and a sleigh that I could pack sixteen small children into, tight-stowed.  Howland is always good about such things, knew what the sleigh was for, having done the same in other years, and made the span four horses of his own accord, because the children would like it better, and “it would be no difference to him.”  Sunday night, as the weather nymphs ordered, the wind hauled round to the northwest and everything froze hard.  Monday night, things moderated and the snow began to fall steadily,—­so steadily; and so Tuesday night the Metropolitan people gave up their unequal contest, all good men and angels rejoicing at their discomfiture, and only a few of the people in the very lowest Bolgie being ill-natured enough to grieve.  And thus it was, that by Thursday evening was one hard compact roadway from Copp’s Hill to the Bone-burner’s Gehenna, fit for good men and angels to ride over, without jar, without noise, and without fatigue to horse or man.  So it was that when I came down with Lycidas to the chapel at seven o’clock, I found Harry had gathered there his eight pretty girls and his eight jolly boys, and had them practising for the last time,

    “Carol, carol, Christians,
    Carol joyfully;
    Carol for the coming
    Of Christ’s nativity.”

I think the children had got inkling of what was coming, or perhaps Harry had hinted it to their mothers.  Certainly they were warmly dressed, and when, fifteen minutes afterwards, Howland came round himself with the sleigh, he had put in as many rugs and bear-skins as if he thought the children were to be taken new-born from their respective cradles.  Great was the rejoicing as the bells of the horses rang beneath the chapel windows, and Harry did not get his last da capo for his last carol.  Not much matter indeed, for they were perfect enough in it before midnight.