What a
wondrous sight! What a shout of infantine laughter and
charming prattle! for in that happy moment were we not
all children again?
I see my story hurries to its close. Dick, who is
the tallest, mounted a step-ladder, and called us by name
to receive our presents. I had a nice gold watch-key
from Hosanna, a knife from Steele, a letter-case from
Phebe, and a pretty pencil-case from Bertha. Dick had
given me his watch-chain, which he knew I fancied;
Sarah Blatchford, a little toy of a Geneva watch she
wore; and her husband, a handsome seal ring,--a present
to him from the Czar, I believe; Phebe, that is my
wife,--for we were travelling with our wives,--had a
pencil-case from Steele, a pretty little letter-case from
Dick, a watch-key from me, and a French repeater from
Blatchford; Sarah Blatchford gave her the knife she
carried, with some bright verses, saying that it was not
to cut love; Bertha, a watch-chain; and Hosanna, a ring
of turquoise and amethysts. The other presents were
similar articles, and were received, as they were given,
with much tender feeling. But at this moment, as Dick
was on the top of the flight of steps, handing down a red
apple from the tree, a slight catastrophe occurred.
The first thing I was conscious of was the angry hiss
of steam. In a moment I perceived that the steam-boiler,
from which the tavern was warmed, had exploded.
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