It was an English gold sovereign in a case tied with red ribbon.

“And may the Angel of Mercy spread her white wings over that hathen boy’s pigtail!” said Nora, as she was given the gift.  “I wish I had something for him.  I will give him kind words now, and sure!”

XIII.

A LEGEND OF TEA.

At a wave of little Lucy’s wand the shining, golden Santa Claus floated away as he came.  When he next appeared—­and it seemed but a moment or two after—­he bore a salver that was gorgeous to see.  Upon it, sending up clouds of steam, was a wonderfully beautiful pitcher that his mistress never before had seen, encircled by some exquisite small black cups, inlaid and encrusted heavily with gold, each with a perforated cover.

“Sky-High presents to his mistress, the Moon Lady of the Christ Child Night,” the little fellow said in his best flowery English, “and to her friends, the Stars of the Midnight, the mandarin tea in the mandarin cups of his country—­they will please to be accepted from the Santa Claus.”

From the pitcher he poured the bubbling water in the mandarin cups, when an exquisite fragrance filled the rooms, as of apple-blossoms.

While the guests sipped the priceless tea from the priceless cups, at the request of his mistress the little Chinaman related a Buddhist legend.

THE DHARMA’S EYELASHES.

  More than four hundred and a thousand years ago, O Madame my Mistress,
  the great Dharma came to China to teach the people.  He ate only fruits,
  and he slept but little; he gave his time almost entirely to meditation.

  The Dharma ate less and less, and slept less and less, and all things
  were beginning to appear clear to him within, when a drowsiness came
  over him, and it increased day by day.

  One day his eyelashes became too heavy for his eyes; they hung like
  little weights on his eyes, and he fell asleep.

  He awoke after a long time.  The inner light had gone.  He felt that he
  had committed a great sin.

  “It is you, my little eyelashes,” he said, “that weighed me down, and
  I will punish you.  I will cut you off.”

  Then the great Dharma cut off the little black eyelashes, and strewed
  them upon the ground.  As he did so he had the inward light again.

  He meditated.  As he did so the little eyelashes on the ground turned
  into wee shrubs, and began to grow.

  They were tea.

  The Dharma ate the tea.  The shrub filled his heart with joy and
  gladness.  So tea came into the world.  Drink it—­it will fill your heart
  with joy and gladness.

The Rector’s wife gave the Santa Claus a seat by her side that he might share with the company the pleasure of the Good Will story his mistress was next to relate; and little Lucy, too, and Charlie came and sat near-by, for they loved their mother’s stories, and could always understand them.