“Look at the beautiful dress I have made for Lally’s own self,” said Bessie on Christmas-eve—holding up a little frock of white cashmere, which she had bound and trimmed, and decked out prettily with light blue ribbon. “My child is to be dressed up in all this loveliness to-night, and carried down in Bessie’s arms, to say to mamma and papa ‘merry Christmas, happy new year.’ Lally won’t be awake soon enough in the morning to say all that long sentence. Would Lally like to be dressed, and go now?” Lally conceiving that she would, the grand dress was slipped on over her little night-gown, then a soft blue shawl was thrown round her neck, and thus attired, with her head resting on Bessie’s shoulder, Lally put in her first appearance in the family circle. “My darling, my darling!” Heather said; and she stood up white and trembling as she spoke. “Is that my little girl?” Arthur exclaimed, making a movement to take her, in which he was restrained, however, by Lally’s statement that she was not to be hurt. “Lally’s been very sore, pa,” she explained. “Merry Chris-mes, dood new year!” “That is not it,” whispered Bessie, giving her a little admonitory shake,—“happy.” “Ma, happy Chris-mes, merry new year!” and the little creature made the round of the family, not forgetting Master Marsden, whom Bessie reluctantly allowed to kiss her. Surreptitiously and remorsefully that young gentleman conveyed into Lally’s hand five or six marbles, which had been secreted about his person. “They are for you,” he whispered; and the gift Lally religiously carried upstairs, falling asleep with the precious stones laid in a heap beside her. “Ver pret,” she said, pointing to the great branch of holly, with its red berries glowing among the glossy leaves, which Bessie had suspended over the top of her little bed, “ver—pret.” “Yes, my darling, they are ver—ver pret,” answered Bessie, while she took off Lally’s finery, and laid her down among the snowy napery; and when all that was done, and Lally was tucked up for the night, Bessie took her seat beside the bed, and told the child, as well as she could, what event the holly berries were hung there to commemorate; told her how, more than eighteen centuries before, the wise men came to worship at Bethlehem, and how the star had gone before them, and stood over the manger where Jesus was laid. “That is why we hang our houses with holly branches, Lally,” Bessie went on, “because to-morrow is the birthday of One who loved us all exceedingly. Do you understand me, pet?” “Iss,” was the reply, “Lally does; Lally heard all that before long ago, that is why we have plum-pudden too.” Rather disheartened at this view of the question, Bessie observed, that when people were glad they prepare a feast, and “make merry,” and that plum-pudding happened to be part of the good things provided at Christmas.