CHRISTMAS IN SWITZERLAND. 23

in the cold. They slowly rose, therefore, and left the table,
which almost immediately afterwards disappeared, and the
Rabbits also. The well-dined couple stood gazing at the beech-
tree a little time, with a look of lingering affection, and then
walked slowly back to the place where the old man had
been at work.

All of a sudden, Marie remembered that she had left her
basket behind her, with the cloth which had held
the potatoes. So she ran back as quickly as
she could, but neither cloth nor basket
could she see. She looked

 
 
 
 
 
   

about everywhere, but in vain, Gs
and felt quite inclined to / A
cry; but having always been \ (Ch
taught to make the best of S \ AN
everything, she tried to hope f

that these little articles had |

 

 

 

 

been picked up by some one
still poorer and in greater distress
than her grandfather and she, and
that they might be of great service

to them. Still, she could not help being sorry that she had
lost her property. Her grandfather, however, was not angry
with her, partly because he was too fond of her for chat, and ~
partly because he had eaten such a good dinner, which put
him, as a good dinner puts most people, in a particularly good
humour.

He did not do much more work that day, and when Marie
and he walked home together, the old boy was in better spirits
than he had been for many a long day. He cracked a joke
or two, and laughed at his own jokes (which is generally the