What lots of things had to be done dur. ing the mysterious season that preceded Christmas! In the evening, when the child was asleep, Gretchen sat on the sofa in my room, and sewed clothes for a doll baby that could open and close its eyes and cry, and had a head covered with long, light hair. With my own hands did I upholster a doll-house, the inmates of which were attired by my sister-in-law-a papa in uniform, a mamma in a lace dressing-gown, and six doll children. We worked with such assiduity that we almost forgot to talk. "How she will enjoy it, Rudolph!" said Gretchen, at length, and cast an enraptured gaze on the little hat she had just completed. "It is so nice that ours is a girl; playthings for a boy are so much harder to find."

"Children, you are possessed," asserted my mother-in-law; "the child is altogether too small for such pretty things; she cannot appreciate them, and will be sure to ruin them."

But she soon found she had stirred up a hornets' nest!

"Elsie is an unusually clever child," asserted Gretchen, quite red in the face; "if she is only a year and a half old she can run and play, and knows exactly what she wants."

"She can already say, give! give!" said I, in confirmation, "and screams when she cannot have her own way. She is a smart one, and takes after her mother."

"And last year she always put her hands out for the candles and laughed," observed my little sister-in-law.

"And she holds her little old doll ex

• Translated for The Living Age by Hasket Derby.

actly as Minna holds her; have you not noticed it, mamma?" began Gretchen

once more.

Mamma nodded.

"If she learns nothing worse than that from Minna."

"How so?" we all inquired in a breath.

"I don't know why, but the girl does not please me at all."

"Why not?" we again asked; "she plays nicely with the child."

"Well, perhaps I am wrong; but, unless I am much mistaken, she has a follower," said my mother-in-law. "I have several times seen her standing on the steps with a man,-she always ran off when she saw me coming-"

"But, good gracious, mamma, why should she not have a young man?" said Gretchen, in extenuation.

"No, that will never do, my dear," interrupted I; "a nurse who has a follower is neither one thing nor the other-is unfitted for her place; thinks more of her lover than of our little one; in fact, the long and short of it is that, if such is the case, I shall give her warning."

"But, Rudolph!"

"My mind is made up, my dear."

"And you are quite right, too," declared my mother-in-law, "you will see that it is so. Have you got a tree?"

"Oh, a beautiful fir and lovely bonbons!" cried Gretchen. "Mamma, it will be the most charming Christmas Eve I ever had."

"Of course! of course!" assented the old lady. "It is delightful to light up the candles for a child. Have you got everything for the servants?" "Everything, everything! you thinking of, mamma?

What are It comes

day after tomorrow!" declared Gretchen. And then she began to count up: "The cook, a dress; the nurse, a cloak; the man, a watch." Then she ran across to her mother and whispered something in her ear. "But be sure, mamma, and don't forget to be here punctually at five o'clock; the little one cannot stay up very late."

The Holy Eve had come. What a day it had been! Such radiant faces I had not seen for a long time; Anna laughed in the kitchen, Minna in the nursery; my wife stopped to caress the child every time she had to pass its little bed, and Miss Elsie lay there, kicked her small legs about and related long stories to herself. The bright, winter sun, with a smile on its own face, looked in at the window, and the whole house was pervaded with the odor of fir balsam, candles and cake.

With what an air of importance did the young mother bustle about! She could not tell where to begin. In the parlor stood the table all ready for the presents; we had to dress it for just so many; for mamma, and for my sisterin-law, and for my wife's two brothers, who were home on leave; for the servants, and, above all, for the child. They would all make for the child the first thing, and the brothers had not yet seen Gretchen in her capacity of matron and mamma.

This day she would shine forth in all her glory; all the silver had been taken out, the finest damask, and for the baby the white embroidered dress with the sky-blue ribbons.

"Rudolph! Rudolph!" "Yes, my dear!"

She came in, breathless, with a note. "Only think, Puss! Puss is engaged to the Assessor! Of course he is coming this evening, too-Rudolph, see where it says it!"

"Ah! I am delighted!"

"And mamma writes that she will send round some champagne for this VOL. VII. 345

LIVING AGE.

evening. Rudolph be sure you get him something in honor of the engagement, a meerschaum pipe or a beer mug or something of the kind; it will never do to leave him out when the presents are given round."

"Yes, my angel-"

"But, be quick! You have got to help me get the tree ready afterwards." "Directly, Gretchen-that is, as soon as I am ready; I have some little secrets of my own."

So, about three in the afternoon, I started to do my wife's commission. I soon found what I wanted, fought my way through the crowd at the Christmas fair, bought a bunch of violets for Grete, looked my fill on the expectant faces of old and young, thought of my little flaxen-haired baby at home, and made up my mind that I was a fortunate, a very fortunate fellow. How poor once, how rich now! I thought over my old Christmas Eves-how cold, how gloomy, how cheerless! On one of them I got myself drunk on punch; that was the most hateful Christmas Eve of all. On most of them, however, I sat alone; there was not a single soul to send me a Christmas box to unpack.

Of a sudden I thought on the Christmas when I bought Rube-Rube, the trusty companion of my loneliness. How long it was since I had thought of the little fellow! My old man had gone and taken Rube with him; but only think, the dog found its way back to the stable the very next day. My new man had mentioned this to me, and asked if the creature might stay? I nodded briefly. The dog was a thorn in my conscience, the one sore point between Gretchen and me. "Treat him well." "Certainly, Lieutenant!"

The fact was he had not occurred to me since then. This confounded sentiment! Suddenly I entered a butcher's shop and bought a sausage; I intended slipping into the stable before the par

ty began. But neither Rube nor my man were there; the latter had left his door closed; he must be helping in the kitchen. But inside I heard a joyous sniffing and scratching, and knew where the animal was.

"Wait a bit, old fellow; you shall have your sausage later."

Twilight was just setting in when I opened my door, and loud talking and laughter resounded in my ears. I was, of course, behindhand-they were all there. In fact, it was so. My room

was full of people taking their coffee; the brothers, the engaged couple, and my mother-in-law.

"Where is my wife?" I inquired in the midst of handshakings and congratulations.

"In the parlor, at the Christmas tree, and she is waiting for you. Never mind us; we can get along here."

In the parlor there was an atmosphere of festive silence; the tread of the busy little feet were scarce heard on the soft carpet; nought but the subdued rustling of the silk dress, and we spoke in hushed tones; the child was still asleep.

"Rudolph," she whispered, “isn't it sweet, isn't it charming?" And she led me up to the little place under the fir tree, where she had piled up all the bright toys. We both stood before them and looked one another in the eye. "Our child, our dear child!" Then we kissed each other, she wiped away a tear, and we both agreed that life in this world was delightful, that we were too happy-she and I and the child.

"Isn't it most time to begin?" the voice of Gretchen's youngest brother, the Ensign, was heard to exclaim outside the door.

We sprang apart like detected lovers. Grete disappeared in the nursery, after giving me a final admonition not to peep under the cloth that covered the presents destined for me. And as I quickly deposited the case containing

the bracelet she had so long desired, and several other trifles in the proper place for her, I heard her prattling with the child in the next room:

"Come, Mousy, come; still-keep still now, the Christmas man is outside." Then I lit the candles and rang the bell, and the mingled chorus of joy and delight was the one familiar to all of my readers who have ever seen a Christmas tree lighted up for the benefit of a happy throng. Grete and I had eyes for the baby only; she was passed from one to another, at every cry of joy she was smothered with kisses. Grandmamma and uncles and aunts, even the gentleman just engaged, laid so many presents at the feet of the little princess that we felt as if we were in a Nuremberg toy shop.

"Here, give her a taste of champagne," cried her youngest uncle. "By Jove, she knows what's good! Grete, have you seen how your daughter can take it down?"

"Don't make the child tipsy," entreated my wife.

"Oh, that will do it no harm."

"No, I cannot allow that," said grandmamma; "see how her little eyes are drooping!" And she almost forced the baby away from us, and disappeared with her in the nursery.

At six o'clock we sat down at table. In honor of the engaged couple Gretchen had turned the supper into a dinner; she made a hasty visit to the child, and then sat down before the steaming tureen.

"She is sleeping herself sober," said she, with a laugh. "Minna is sitting by her bed. You have given her too much champagne, too."

We might have passed an hour in joyous conversation, in joking, and in reviving the memories of our childhood; when grandmamma rose and opened the window.

"Listen, the bells!"

A hush fell on us all. Each one

seemed possessed with a solemn thought. The young couple had furtively grasped one another's hands; Gretchen's head rested against my shoulder; my older brother-in-law thought on the maiden whom he secretly loved, on future Merry Christmasses; the younger gazed seriously into his glass. A lady stood at the window and wiped her averted eyes.

"She is thinking of papa," whispered Gretchen to me.

Then, of a sudden, there mingled with the notes of the bells tones that brought me to myself with a start;-it was the half-smothered howl of a dog, a piteous wail, a cry for help.

I leaped up.

"Rube! that is Rube's voice! Where can he be?"

How

"The wretched little nuisance! can he have got up here again?" I heard Gretchen exclaim, petulantly. I stood in the vestibule and listened. But at that moment everything was still.

"Rube! Rube!" I cried, and flung the outer door open. Nought was to be seen. I stepped into the kitchen; my man and the cook were busily engaged, the latter was just removing a hissing, smoking pan from off the fire.

"Where is the dog howling?" I inquired.

The honest Pole stood with open mouth, a towel and a clean plate in his hands.

"I don't know, Lieutenant; I was below a while ago, and gave him some sausage. He must be in the stable."

There again the distant and yet vigorous scratching, howling, whining! With the speed of lightning I tore through the dimly-lighted parlor and flung open the nursery door.

Merciful God!

A cloud of suffocating smoke burst forth in my face, with a loud howl a creature leaped up against me, licking me and whining, and then tore back into the room filled with smoke. Half

crazed with fear I pressed after him; there I knew my darling's bed to be-I felt about gasping for breath, reached over into the crib and lifted out the child; it lay in my arms a dead weight. And now I hurried out from the deathly atmosphere into the parlor.

My man had followed close after me, had seen the whole and carried the terrible tidings to the festive board. I sat with the lifeless child at the window, which I instinctively opened; my wife had flung herself before me on her knees, pallid with fear, unable to articulate.

"My child, Rudolph, my child!"

I heard calling and screaming; I felt my mother-in-law take it from my arms, and sprang to my feet and raised the poor little woman.

"Come, Grete, be courageous!" cried my mother-in-law; "water-colognea doctor!" And Gretchen, all of a tremble, hurried to the table on which the child had been placed; with unsteady hands she removed its clothes, with unsteady hands and a face distorted with woe. The room had been quickly lighted up; all were there except my oldest brother-in-law and my man who had gone after the doctor. Nought was to be heard save the panting respiration, the half-suppressed sobs of my wife.

"Be calm, Grete," said the voice of my mother-in-law, "calm, my darling! There, now draw off the little shirt."

I stood by and saw the pale face of the old lady bent down to the deeplyreddened visage of the child, saw her rub the soles of the feet and the little chest. Not one of us dared to breathe; a long pause, and then-"She is alive, my dear child, I feel her little heart beating!" Two large tears rolled down grandmamma's cheeks.

"She lives!" cried Gretchen. "God be praised!"

She took up the child, wrapped its coverings around it, and hurried back

ful God, forgive me!"

My wife averted her head from her, and signed in silence for her to leave the room.

"Oh, Lieutenant," moaned Minna, and moved over to me, still on her knees, "I was wicked! I had to run to my lover; I had worked him a pair of slippers, which I wanted to give him; Elsie was in a beautiful sleep, and I had forgotten to put out the candle-the night lamp gave so little light, and I could not find a candlestick, and so stuck it in the workbasket, and it must have burned down and set the woollen on fire. I was anxious about Rube, who had slipped into the room, and so ran back as fast as I could, and-came too late, Lieutenant!"

"Leave us!" I ordered, for just then the doctor entered. The girl staggered out of the room.

"She is alive, doctor!" we called out to him.

"A pretty state of things!" said he, shaking his head and bending down over the little patient. My brother-inlaw had already related to him the whole history of the accident. "Two minutes later, Lieutenant, and then

what lucky chance brought you in at just the right time?"

"Yes, it was a lucky chance, doctor!" and my eyes looked gravely at Gretchen, who slowly cast hers down.

"Is the child out of danger?" she quickly asked, and a deep blush suddenly overspread her pale countenance. "I should think so, madam. Let the little one sleep in another room, one freshly aired. I will call again tomorrow, and-take care of your own nerves."

Absolute quiet soon reigned in our dwelling. Every one went away, first giving us a heartfelt pressure of the hand. The crib with the sleeping child stood now in the parlor, close by the Christmas table. By its side knelt the mother, softly sobbing, her head buried in the pillows.

Then she arose.

"Come with me, Rudolph." "Where?"

"Come with me."

Out she led me by the hand, through the corridor, down the stairs.

"The dog, Rudolph, the good dog!" she whispered at the threshold of the stable. "Call him, for he will not mind me."

"Rube!" I cried out into the steamy warmth and darkness of the stable; then there was a rustling in the straw, and he came up to me, whining and barking with joy.

"Come, Rube!" said Gretchen, and took him up in her arms, "come!" And as we two went back through the yard the starlight of the holy night revealed to me the black coat of the dog pressed against the delicate cheek of my fairhaired wife, and I saw the great teardrops that rained from her eyes, and the hand caressing the creature. Thus, rapidly and in silence, she mounted the staircase.

"Let him down, Gretchen, he will come of himself," I entreated. But she only shook her head, and once upstairs