Lois looked at Jim in sympathetic understanding. "You see, he doesn't know," she said. "Tinsel, dear brother, is supposed to represent the silver rays of the stars," she explained.
"Oh, get out," Bob objected. "It's no such thing. Anyway, that has nothing to do with putting it around the tree."
"Robert, you grieve me." Jim shook his head mournfully. "You a college man. How could the rays of the stars go around a tree? I ask it in all seriousness."
Bob was fairly caught. Even Polly laughed at him. Mrs. Farwell came in just in time to save him from more teasing.
"Oh, how beautiful the tree looks," she said. "I wouldn't put another thing on it, it's quite perfect as it is. Come into the other room and sing some carols, and then we must all hang up our stockings and go to bed; to-morrow will be a busy day."
"What are we going to do besides eat dinner?" Uncle Roddy demanded from the other room.
"Why, Sarah is packing some baskets for Polly to take to some of the poor families in the village," Mrs. Farwell explained, "and of course, we'll all go to church in the morning. In the afternoon I suppose—"
"Now, Kate," interrupted the Doctor, laughing, "In the afternoon do let us digest our dinner."
After they had all sung the carols around the old tinkly piano, they wished one another a Merry Christmas, found their candles on the big table in the hall—for there were no electric lights in Polly's house—and went upstairs.
"Come along old man," Polly said to Sandy. "Do you want some help?" she asked, as the old dog prepared to follow her. He always slept on the rug beside her bed.