"I hear the carriage," said Madeline, for it had been sent to the station to bring the expected company. Hastening out to the piazza, she welcomed her friends; Roland had brought out Edmund, with his mother and sister, and Helen Thornly. "Well, this is beautiful, indeed!" said Roland, as he glanced around at the preparations. "I think we Scotch people lose a great deal in not making more of this joyous season; but really, Madeline, have not the fairies been at work?" "No, dear, neither fairies nor angels have had anything to do with it, not even Santa Claus; human hands planned all." "I know better, darling," whispered Roland; "a household angel has gathered these lovely flowers, and lit up this bright festival; my household angel, Madeline." The ladies were soon disrobed, and ready to join the cheerful party in the dining-room, where a genuine Christmas dinner was prepared. After they had done full justice to the viands, Roland exclaimed, smiling, "And what is to be done with this Christmas tree? are we going back to the days of childhood, Madeline?" "You'll see after a while," was the arch reply, as the folding doors were closed between the rooms. In a few minutes, the tramp of little feet on the piazza, and the buzz of children's voices, announced an arrival--ere they entered, the children, under the guidance of Philip and Susan Grant, sang a sweet Christmas carol. They were then admitted into the front parlor, and strange to behold were the large staring eyes, and open mouths of the wondering children, who had never seen such grandeur before! A sweet Christmas hymn, sung by ladies' voices, was heard in the room beyond, and when the door suddenly opened, and the sight of the splendid tree, illuminated from top to bottom, burst upon them, they could no longer restrain their expressions of delight. The girls clapped their hands, and the boys stamped their feet, as they exclaimed, "Oh! goody gracious! I never saw anything like that!" "Just see the heap of apples!" said one little girl. "Just look at that pretty doll!" said another. "Look at them ere glass things! I wonder what they are." "There's a gun!" said a boy. "And there's a top!" said another; "and such a heap of things!" "And there's a whole pile of books!" said another. "Look at the bags of sugar-plums!" said a fat little urchin. "Hurrah for the sugar-plums!" and the little fellow turned a summerset, and rolled over and over on the floor. After considerable trouble, they were all reduced to order, and Roland held a hat, and gave each child a card with a number on it. Madeline took her stand by the tree; one by one she took down the gifts, and, calling out the number, each happy child came forward to receive the present. Each child had also a bag of sugar-plums and a book to take home, and a large slice of Christmas cake for present enjoyment.