The work of arranging and decorating the school-room went on merrily and rapidly. And now, nothing remained to do, but to hang the presents each with its ribbon and label upon the Christmas tree, a task which was entrusted to the younger teachers, and from which not only the girls, but the great magnates of the house, Mrs. Pomeroy, Mr. Fletcher and Miss Gilbert were entirely shut out.
Great was the contriving and managing, and deep the schemes to prevent any teacher from getting a premature sight of her own present, and much was the merriment excited by some of the gifts.
Bella Faushane had constructed: a dog of brown cotton flannel, supposed to be an accurate likeness of Mr. Fletcher's terrier Cornelius Agrippa, a quadruped of wonderful sagacity and amiable manners, but so ugly that as Belle declared, he was afraid to sleep alone; and a cat of white plush intended to represent Mrs. Pomeroy's cat Posy, between whom and Cornelius Agrippa there raged continual war. These effigies were intended respectively for Mrs. Pomeroy and Mr. Fletcher.
A wonderfully elaborate smoking cap, and a pipe of inordinate dimensions for good old Mr. Holz, the German music master, who had been in the house as long as Mrs. Pomeroy herself, without improving in the least in his English or his habits of smoking.
A miniature dust pan and feather duster awaited Miss Thomas, who was famous for finding dirt where nobody else could see any.
While hundreds of other gifts, many pretty and valuable, crowded the Christmas tree, whose glittering and many colored fruits were expected to show to still greater advantages when illuminated by the rays of the multitudes of wax tapers liberally scattered among them.
Up stairs in the hall, as it was always styled, par excellence, all were equally occupied. The girls who were not busy with their packing, were arranging their dresses for the evening, or putting the last touches to some of their gifts, and all were talking over plans for the holidays.
"There!" said Annette, emphatically, as she held up her hand, and arranged upon it a silken net which she had just finished. "That is the last piece of work I am going to do. I never could have believed that I should be so tired of fancy work."
"After all, you have not done as much as some others," remarked Bella Faushane, who having finished trimming her own gloves, was now benevolently engaged in ornamenting those of several of her companions. "There is Emily Arlington, for instance; I never saw any one accomplish as much."
"I should think you would hate the very sight of it, Em!" said Annette, turning to Emily.