CHRISTMAS IN SWITZERLAND. 27

_try to turn it quite over—there it was, upright and firm as
any new model cottage. No casements shook, all were firmly
fixed; and the brown paper, with which many broken panes
of glass had been from time to time replaced, had all dis-
appeared, and new panes appeared in every window. The
door, too, had its broken latch mended, and, instead of the wind
whistling under it, as before, a stout, thick bit of list, care-
fully nailed on, quite put a stop to ¢#at; and as to the
roof! why, there wasn’t a broken tile left upon it, but every

tile was as straight and new
as if it had just been put on,
and well put on, too.

The whole place was so

    
 

altered that the
old grandfather
opened his mouth nearly wide enough

to have swallowed it, cottage and all,
while Marie darted forward with a
scream of delight, crying out :

« Oh, the Fairy! the Fairy !— the dear, good | fairy ! ! Tam
sure it is she who has been here.”

The old man stood stock- still in amazement until another
cry from Marie, who had now opened the door, woke him up.
He hurried on to the cottage and entered after her. What
do you think he saw? In the middle of the room in which
they usually lived was a brand-new table, whilst four. new
chairs were placed about in different parts of the room, which