“Just what I was thinking of,” said Uncle Nathan; “as I looked at the sparks of fire, I was saying to myself, ’I have not quite done my duty to the boys and girls in Soitgoes.’  You and I,” said he, rather sadly, putting the locket in his purse and pressing the gold ring gently down on it, “you and I have no children.  But I sometimes feel like adopting all the boys and girls in the parish; and when I saw that great troop of them come out of the school-house last week, I felt a little reproach, that, while looking after their fathers and mothers, I had not done more for the children.”

“I am sure you gave the town that great new school-house,” said Kindly.

“Yes, that’s nothing.  I furnished the money and the general idea; Eliot Cabot drew the plan,—­capital plan it is too; and Jo Atkins took the job.  I paid the bills.  But how will you arrange it for Christmas?”

“Well,” said Kindly, who had an organizing head, “we’ll have a Children’s Party.  I’ll ask all under fifteen, and if some older ones come in, no matter; I hope they will.  Of course the fathers and mothers are to come and look on, and have a real good time.  We will have them in the New Hall.  I wonder why they call it the New Hall; there never was any old one.  We will have some plain cake and lemonade, music, dancing, little games, and above all a CHRISTMAS TREE.  There shall be gifts on it for all the children under twelve.  The people who are well to do will give something to buy the gifts for the children of their own standing, and you and I will make up what is wanting for the poor ones.  We’ll have little games as well as a dance.  Mrs. Toombs,—­Sally Wilkins that used to be,—­the minister’s wife, has a deal of skill in setting little folks to play; she has not had much use for it, poor thing, since her marriage, six or seven years ago.  What a wild romp she used to be! but as good as Sunday all the time.  Sally will manage the games; I’ll see to the dancing.”

“The children can’t dance,” said Uncle Nathan; “you know there never was a dancing-school in town.”

“Yes they can,” said Kindly.  “The girls will dance by nature, and the boys will fall in, rather more clumsily of course.  But it will do well enough for us.  Besides, they have all had more practice than you think for.  You shall get the pine-tree, or hemlock, and buy the things,—­I’ll tell you what, to-morrow morning,—­and I will manage the rest.”

The next morning it was fine, bright weather; and the garments blossomed white on the clotheslines all round the village; and with no small delight the housewives looked on these perennial hanging-gardens, periodically blooming, even in a New England winter.  Uncle Nathan mentioned his sister’s plan to one of his neighbors, who said, “Never’ll go here!” “But why not?” “Oh, there’s Deacon Willberate and Squire Allen are at loggerheads about the allusion to slavery which Rev. Mr. Freeman made in his prayer six months ago.