The days were short and few between that evening and Christmas. But to Minnie old Time seemed to walk with leaden feet and slow steps. Yet they passed away as days always will, and Christmas night arrived at last.
There were great doings at Minnie Brown's that night. The sun had hardly set, before a bevy of boys and girls, Minnie's invited guests, began to arrive. Uncles and aunts, and bright-eyed cousins, from the neighboring town, had arrived in the afternoon. And now the back parlor was pretty well filled; and such a good-natured buzzing, laughing, and chatting as were heard there, it would do your heart good to hear again; for the voices sounded like music—the music of happy hearts.
Mr. Brown was something of a wag, in his way. He was, withal, a man who did not think it beneath him to mingle with children on proper occasions, and to minister to their joy. So it pleased him, on this pleasant evening, to play the part of "Old Father Christmas."
Dressed in old-fashioned costume, with a yule log on his shoulders, a wreath about his head, and a right jovial twinkling in his eyes, he introduced himself to the company with many smart sayings, which added not a little to their amusement.
After a time, the folding doors were thrown open, revealing a splendid Christmas tree in the front parlor. It reached to the ceiling. Lighted wax tapers burned on almost every branch. Between these tapers hung a large number of gifts for the various members of the happy company.
This display called forth fresh bursts of pleasure from the young people. When their cries of "O, dear!" "How beautiful!" "Splendid!" "What a magnificent tree!" "How grand!" &c., had ceased, "Old Father Christmas" invited them to step forward and receive the various gifts of love and friendship the tree contained.
Among all the gifts on that tree, there was none so beautiful as that which fell to the share of Minnie. It was a rich rosewood box, containing various articles, such as delicate little scent and cologne bottles, scissors, &c. Inside of the lid there was a looking-glass; and on the top of the lid, outside, a pretty little silver plate, on which was very neatly engraved the name of Minnie Brown.