warm, the cry fills the dawn with electric energy. The Doctor began it.
He knew by the instant response that he had started something that he
could not stop. Almost in no time, it seemed, Roger was leading a wild,
bare-footed scamper down the stairs--for Roger _knew_--and the Doctor,
hastily bath-robed and slippered, was on behind with a lamp. But here
was no cyclonic invasion of a dark, cold sitting-room. Old Annie and
Asher knew boys! A log blazed brightly in the fireplace and the lamp was
lit. If the room was over-warm, it proved simply that Annie had seen
boys of another generation rushing down of a Christmas morning, scantily
clad.

And the King of Christmas trees blazed in candle-glory from wall to
wall, tinselled boughs sagging with the weight of its Christmas
freight. It could not have been bigger--it could not have glittered
more. It had as many arms as an Octopus and its shaggy evergreen head,
starred gorgeously with iridescence, brushed the old-fashioned paper on
the ceiling. A great, lovable Christmas giant guarding a cargo of
Christmas gifts!

Muggs emitted one blood-curdling shriek of delight, clapped his hand
over his mouth and began to swell about the cheeks. Then he stepped on
the hem of his night-gown and fell sprawling at Annie's feet.

"Dear me," said Annie vexedly, though she righted him with kindly hands,
"I can't for the life of me make out what ails that child. He acts so
mortal queer at times, an' he's ready to swell up over nothing at all."

With the advent of Aunt Ellen, Christmas packages began to lose twine
and paper, and what the packages lost the sitting-room speedily gained
in disorder. For here were warm suits and overcoats, shoes and stockings