"You are a goose!" said broad-awake Alice. "But all the same, I wish you a happy Christmas." "So do I," answered Minnie, trying to be polite; "but when I really wake up to-morrow morning I'll say it better." "Why it _is_ to-morrow morning," laughed Alice. After breakfast, just as they were going to open a package on which they had ventured many conjectures, a ring at the front door interrupted them. "Perhaps it's another parcel," said Minnie, running to the window, while Agnes exclaimed: "Oh, Minnie, don't expect things, pray. I should not like to be counting on presents--it is horrid!" Minnie looked round astonished. "I didn't know----" she said, confused. But the ring was quickly explained. "Please, Master Hugh," said the housemaid, "there's a young gentleman in the hall, and he wants to know if you'll go out for a walk with him?" "Who is it?" asked Hugh, vexed. "Did he say his name?" "I'll enquire, Master Hugh." "It's Master Tom Radnor," she said, returning. Hugh threw down the string he was untying, and followed the maid into the hall. "Holloa, Tom!" he said. "I've nothing to do to-day," said the other; "and you said you'd go for a walk." "You're remarkably early, or else we're remarkably late." "Don't you want to go?" "Oh, yes; but I'm busy just this minute." "Not done breakfast?" asked Tom, grinning. "You're wrong there! Look here, Tom, I'll call for you in half an hour, will that do?" "All right." So the front door opened and closed, and Hugh came back. "What did he want?" asked Alice. "To go for a walk." "On Christmas-day? How funny." "Not funny that I know of." "Did you ask him to?" said Minnie. "Yes--no--at least he said something about it when I met him yesterday." "I should have said I couldn't," said Alice decidedly; "but never mind now, Hugh, let's open our things." They gathered round the table, and soon had forgotten all about Tom in their interest in the presents their mother and father had prepared for them. A beautiful work-basket for Agnes; a book for John; a new paint-box for Hugh; a desk, fitted-up, for Alice; and a long-shaped box for Minnie, on which was written, "Care--great care--little Minnie." "What can it be?" exclaimed the child, peeping round it, and enjoying her anticipations. And then John untied the string and raised the cover, while Minnie's little fingers tenderly lifted some tissue-paper, and disclosed to view a baby-doll of surpassing loveliness. Agnes and the rest admired and exclaimed to the heart's content of the little mother, and then She took her doll away to show it to the servants. Just then Hugh discovered that the half hour was nearly over, and started up. "Are you not coming to church?" asked Alice. Hugh stopped short for a moment, "Are you?" he asked. "Yes, we are going with Aunt Phyllis." "But I can't get out of this, Agnes, and father wouldn't mind?"