Grandfathers Love Pie | Page 7

cheer, My Christmas Gift, returned
again.
"It's a beautiful idea, Dick, but it won't do now. There's too much
pathos in it for this occasion. When I read the lines myself, I am
blinded with tears, for I realize all too keenly that we may not have him
another Christmas. Some time, it may be a great comfort to mother to
have it. Keep the idea in mind and work it out some day."

So the little poem was folded up and laid away for another year.

IV.
Several days passed and grandfather seemed to improve. The spirit of
Christmas pervaded everything, and even the invalid playfully asked
Alsie if she could give him a hint as to what he might find in his sock
on the eventful morning. Uncle Dick had been instructed to bring home
all the Santa Claus posters that might be found in the newspaper office
or bookshop, and there was already quite a stack of colored pictures on
hand, showing Santa Claus in every stage of his wonderful yearly trip
round the earth. Both Alices had spent some time selecting the little
white Santa and sleigh for the top of the pie. The reindeer were hitched,
tandem style, to the sleigh, harnessed and reined with the gayest red
ribbon.
The packages and letters began to come, in considerable numbers,
during the next few days, and several more "plums" were given into
Alice's care, not to mention the dates, raisins, currants, and the like, for
every check or coin was classified with the fruit, for the filling of the
pie. It began to look as if that pie was to be a very rich one after all.
One morning, several days before Christmas, Mrs. Gordon came out of
the sick-chamber, to the breakfast table, with a beaming face, saying:
"Captain Gordon spent the best night he has had in months, and he feels
so bright and well that he wants to be brought into the library and rest
awhile on the couch there."
What joy this announcement brought to them all! The rolling chair was
drawn forth, and little Alsie led the way from one room to another with
feet that fairly danced.
No ill effects followed the experiment, and it was repeated the next day
with even greater success. It really appeared that some of the most
persistent features of Captain Gordon's illness were yielding, perhaps,
to the treatment--at any rate, the beloved invalid was better, and the

leaden weight of apprehension, which had so burdened the hearts of
each one of them, was disappearing and a wonderful joy was taking its
place.
A white-winged, invisible guest had arrived, before time, to spend the
Christmastide with them. It was the Angel of Hope, sent by the pitying
hand of the Father in Heaven, and with it came peace, joy, love, and
merriment.
What a host of Christmas cards came in, on the morning mail, just
preceding Christmas Day. Little Alsie was almost wild to begin work
on the pie. After breakfast, Aunt Alice said calmly, "Alsie, come with
me, for I have an important errand, and would like to have company."
"O, Auntee, how can you be so composed when there's such a big pile
of bundles in your bedroom closet, and have you seen the lovely palm
sent to grandfather by the members of his literary club? It's a beauty,
and so big that it looks almost like a small tree!"
They wended their way to Alice's room, and locked the door. Going to
the closet, Alice brought forth the largest round hat-box that any of
them had ever seen. It must have been two feet or more in diameter, but
it was only seven or eight inches high.
The Christmas paper was next brought out, and what a wonderful
variety there was--Santa Claus, in all phases of his yearly trip, was
pictured on some rolls, while festoons of holly and ribbon were
outlined against a background of white on others.
After considerable discussion and comparing of effects, it was finally
decided that the outside crust of the pie should be of white paper,
decorated in holly and ribbon, so the needles and pastepot were both
used in preparing the lower portion of the box. The top was treated in
an entirely different fashion. It was covered over with the whitest of
white cotton batting, and the glistening little sleigh was securely
fastened to the center of the top. Fragments of the cotton fell over the
edges, and when Alice sprinkled over this, the "diamond dust," it
looked as if real icicles were dropping from a bank of glistening snow.

"Auntee, it's the prettiest thing I've ever seen!" exclaimed Alsie
enthusiastically, after the lining had been neatly pasted in.
Then began the work of fixing up