So Natalie, Alys, Dirk and Beth began the little pilgrimage around the room, distributing presents. There was a carefully prepared list of names and a package for each one which held the useful, warm things that each particular child most needed--Anna Mary had found out what these were--and with them were toys, candies, nuts, fruit in abundance. As each name was called and “Snow White” put into each pair of red, roughened hands the gift that they were to carry away, a fearful blast of tin horns arose, quite ear-splitting and unbearable, but which, after a few repetitions, wrought the children into a frenzy of joy and effectually broke up the last remnant of awkwardness. It took a long time to give out the presents; Santa Claus beckoned one or two of his friends, who stood laughing, covering their ears, yet enjoying the scene immensely, to help Mr. Leonard and himself with the task. At last it was done and in the lull that followed Dirk and his boy friends trundled into the room four great freezers of ice-cream, set on flat wagons and decorated with Christmas greens. Then several of the Cortlandt servants, who had left the room, returned, carrying baskets of dishes and spoons, and trays heaped with cakes, iced in many colors. “Well, what d’ye know about dat!” cried a small person, newsboy by profession, with such deep emotion in his voice that the entire roomful, great and small, shouted and the speaker tried to crawl out of sight on the floor, to which he immediately dove, but was fished up and set back on his chair by a relentless sister, a year his elder. There was enough ice-cream for every one to have two big helpings and cake for each one to eat his fill. If the children did not recognize their treat as furnished by a famous caterer, they did know that “it wa’n’t no slouch ice-cream,” as one child said, but decidedly superior to that sold from the tail of pushcarts in their own neighborhood. “Now, children dear, our Christmas tree has dropped all its fruits for you. There isn’t anything more for us to do but to say good-night, because you have far to go, many of you. Did you have a good time?” asked Mrs. Santa Claus of the entire roomful. “Yes, ma’am!” “You bet!” “Sure thing!” came back her answer in various forms, but with one clear meaning. Suddenly a big boy got on his feet, pushed up decidedly by many hands. He looked red and miserable, but he stuck to his guns. “Dey want I should give you t’anks, all of yous. It was great, biggest ever. An’ we hopes yous all will git de best what’s comin’ any place. An’ we wishes yous de biggest luck nex’ year. Much obliged.” “Hurrah!” shouted Santa Claus. “It is we who are much obliged to you for coming!”