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EARLY the next morning the whole household was astir at Cedar Hill. The children were up and dressed before daylight, wishing everybody "Merry Christmas," and running all over the house, except into the dining room, where the old lady allowed no one to set foot but herself. By-and-by they had prayers in the parlor and the children sung two or three Christmas carols, accompanied by Miss Hope on the piano.
Then the dining room door was opened and they marched in procession to the table. It was set out in great state, and there, before every one's place, was a mysterious pile, carefully covered by a white napkin. Grace was said, and then the piles were all uncovered.
What wonders were disclosed! Books and toys for the children, all sorts of pretty and useful things for everybody. Not one of the strangers was forgotten, but each received a nice present, all the nicer from being wholly unexpected. Abundance of presents had been provided for the grandchildren of the family, besides those which the doctor had in his trunk for his own little flock; and Harry, May and Annie were only too glad to divide with their new friends.
A man had been sent over to the railroad station early in the morning. He returned with the news that no train could possibly get through before next morning. So it was decided that the big lumber sleigh should be got out once more to take the whole party to church in the village, about a mile off. Before church time, there were several private conversations held in the house. Agatha, with Herbert and her brother, sat in a corner of the parlor talking of their family affairs. Miss Hope was closeted with the old lady in her room, and Frank, with some embarrassment, requested to speak with the doctor in the library.
"I wanted to ask you, sir," said he, looking down, "if you thought it would be wrong for me to go to the communion this morning? I am to be confirmed at Easter, at any rate, and—I am so thankful for the way everything has turned out—and—I know I am not good enough, doctor, but I want to be a better boy, and I do love Him!"
"You know, Frank, what is said in the Prayer-book," said the doctor, kindly. "I say nothing of the Rubric, because you have just told me that you are 'ready and desirous to be confirmed;' but here is the invitation. Examine yourself by it. Do you truly and earnestly repent you of your sins?"
"Yes sir, I hope so."
"And are you in love and charity with your neighbors?"
"I believe so," said Frank. "I hav'n't any enemies that I know of, so I hav'n't anything to forgive, and I should be very wicked indeed if I did not feel kindly towards every one this morning, after God has been so good to me."
"And do you intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in His holy ways? Think well before you speak."
"I have been trying to do so this long time, doctor," said Frank. "I get discouraged a great many times, but I have not left off trying."
The doctor asked Frank a good many more questions, tending to test his knowledge of Christian doctrine and of his own heart. Frank had been carefully instructed, especially since his residence with Doctor Bower, and the doctor, who was accustomed to dealing with young people, was quite satisfied with his answers.
"Well, my son," said he, at last, "from all that you tell me I can see no reason why you should not draw near with faith and take your part in the feast of love. In the sense of sin-lessness no one is worthy, but any one who repents and believes, placing all his hopes of salvation upon the great atoning sacrifice of Christ our Lord, may safely take this holy sacrament, to his comfort. But how is it with your companions?"
"Oh, Herbert has been a communicant these two years, and Agatha since last Easter. She was so little and looked so young that the bishop was in doubt about her; but he examined her himself and was quite satisfied."
"I am glad to hear it," said the doctor. "I advise you, Frank, to spend the hour between this and church time in prayer and rending."
The doctor marked certain chapters for him, and Frank remained alone in the library till all were called to go to church.
"Isn't it nice?" said Annie to Agatha, as they sat together in the sleigh, coming home. "Grandmamma has been talking with Miss Hope, and she is to stay and be my governess! You see, it is too far for me to go to school in the village, especially in winter, and there is no one to teach me music or French. But grandmamma has found out that she used to know Miss Hope's mother at school, and—oh, I can't tell you all about it, only Miss Hope has no home now, and no money, and she was going to try for a place in a public school. But now she is going to live with us. That will be a great deal nicer for her, won't it?"
"Yes, indeed!" said Agatha, hastily; "and nicer for you, too. Miss Hope seems such a pleasant young lady. I liked her the very first minute I saw her."
"And she will be company for grandmamma too, you know," continued Annie. "Oh, how glad I am you got snowed up and came to our house!"
"And so am I," replied Agatha, smiling.
In the evening the sleigh was again put in requisition, and all the young party went down to the village to attend the Sunday-school festival. Agatha's story had already become known, and she received a great deal of attention, almost enough to turn the head of a little girl of thirteen: but her brother, who watched her closely, was delighted to see that she preserved through all the quiet and lady-like demeanor which had so pleased him from the first.
Herbert could not but feel sad at even the distant and uncertain prospect of losing the sister he had learned to love so much; but he, tried hard not to be selfish, and to rejoice in her joy. As for Frank and Ned, they were ready to be pleased with everything. Ned found a congenial playmate in the clergyman's son, a frank, manly boy of his own age, who was expecting to go to Doctor Bower's school after the Christmas holidays. Frank was graver than usual, but his face wore a look of subdued happiness very pleasant to see.
The next morning early came a message from the station-master that the train had been telegraphed and would be through in less than an hour. All was bustle directly. The old lady filled a famous basket with cakes, cold chicken and other good things, lest the children should be hungry on the road. All the children from Cedar Hill accompanied the guests to the station, and bidding good-by to their kind entertainers, the children and the doctor were soon in the cars and on their way to their homes.
At J—, Agatha expected to separate from her brother for a little while. Mr. Goldwin intended to follow Doctor Bower to New York, and Herbert gave him a letter of introduction to his father, with some account of their meeting. It was hard for Agatha to separate from her brother even for a few days, but she tried to submit cheerfully, exacting from him a promise to write to her directly, and somewhat comforted by the miniatures of her father and mother which were left in her care.
To the joyful surprise of Frank and Edward, the very first person they met on stopping from the train at J— was their father. The non-arrival of the children, together with the appearance of their trunks, caused great surprise at home, and Judge Landon telegraphed at once to Greenbrier to find out the cause of their delay. Ascertaining, after considerable trouble, that they had taken the wrong train and were probably snowed up somewhere on the road, he came over to J— in hope of further intelligence, and arrived half an hour before the train came in. Of course the whole story of the mistake had to be gone over, and I am happy to say that Frank bore the laughter of his friends with perfect good humor. Indeed, as it turned out, he could afford to do so, though, as he justly observed, there were no thanks due to him.
Herbert and Agatha passed their Christmas holidays very pleasantly at Judge Landon's, and towards the end of them they were agreeably surprised by the appearance of Doctor Bower and Mr. Goldwin.
Agatha was perfectly happy at seeing her father and brother together. She had made up her mind, as she said, "they would suit each other exactly," nor was she disappointed in her expectation. Her mind had nevertheless been a good deal disturbed by the thought that she must be separated from one or the other of them. She felt that she could not live apart from her brother, and yet she did not know how to leave the kind doctor, who had been a father to her when she was left alone in a strange land. This consideration had caused her a good deal of anxiety, which was destined soon to be set at rest.
"Good news, Agatha!" cried Herbert, one morning, after the doctor and Mr. Goldwin had been closeted together for some hours. "It is all settled! Father has just told me all about it. You are not to go away from us, and yet you are to live with your brother, too. Isn't that splendid?"
"But how, Herbert?" asked Agatha. "I don't understand."
"Why, you know my father has been wanting a partner."
"I did not know it. But never mind. What then?"
"He says the entire charge of the school is rather too much for him," continued Herbert. "He is not so young as he has been, and he wants time to study and to work at the big book he is writing. It was partly that which took him to New York. He wished to see a gentleman who was recommended to him. But when he came to see the gentleman, he found that they could not agree at all, and he was just considering what to do when your brother arrived. You know, I told you that they had been at the same college, and when they came to compare notes, they found that they knew a great many of the same people. Father wrote to some of the professors about your brother, and they all agreed in saying that he was exactly the man he wanted for the place. So they have been talking the matter over again this morning, and it is all settled."
"But, Herbert, I don't quite understand yet."
"Why, Mr. Goldwin goes into partnership with my father in the school, and will take most of his classes off his hands. So, of course, he will have to live with us."
"I see!" said Agatha. "How glad I am! You don't know how I have been worrying about it all these holidays."
"Yes, I do," returned Herbert. "I have seen it all, and I felt just so, but I could not help hoping it would all come right, somehow. I am so glad! You know mamma wanted father to have a partner."
"Oh, I do wish she was here to see Charley!" said Agatha. "Would she not be glad, if she knew?"
"Perhaps she does," replied Herbert, in a low voice. "At any rate she will know, some day."
When our young friends returned home Mr. Goldwin accompanied them. Doctor Bower found his labors greatly lightened by his new assistant, who fell in with all his plans and methods for the improvement of his pupils, and the boys were delighted with their new master, who, though sufficiently dignified and strict in school, was a famous ball player and gymnast, and was a perfect magazine of stories and plays for rainy days.
Miss Hope remained at Cedar Hill as governess to little Annie and companion to her grandmother, and enjoyed the double pleasure of finding a happy home in her loneliness and making herself useful to the dear old lady, who was much alone, now that all her daughters were married.
The doctor is well, and is at present looking forward to the pleasure of having all his young friends together at his own house for the next Christmas.
Hoping that these same holidays may prove as pleasant to my young readers as they are likely to do to the children of whom I have been writing, I wish them a merry Christmas and a happy New-Year, and bid them a kindly farewell.
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