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When Alsie was recounting to him all the pretty things she had found in her stocking, he said, teasingly, "Now don't get into mine, too I'm going to wait until Uncle Dick and his little tots come before I take my allotted hour in the library." By ten o'clock Uncle Dick's family had arrived, and the big, stalwart son went into the sick-room to assist the pale, weak father into the library.
"We shall have to get help, Alsie just look at the books to be put in, and half the presents sent by the children must be wrapped and tied up, for you know every single thing must have a ribbon attached, by which it is to be pulled out of the pie."
It could not be called an apple, peach, cherry or mince pie, though there was plenty of fruit in that box, wasn't there?" said Alsie, with a laugh, when everything had been examined.
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.
There was a very tender tie of love between these two Alsie, the dear little twelve-year-old daughter of an older sister of the family, and Alice, the only remaining unmarried child of a household of many sons and daughters.
"Have you opened Aunt Margie's box yet?" was the question asked by Alsie as the work of filling the pie was drawing to a close. "I opened that some days ago," replied Alice, with a smile. "There were a good many things in that box for general distribution, and, by the way, Alsie, this goes into the pie, but I think it will interest you as much as father."
I am going to drop it in the pie now, and that will be one of the surprises that you will enjoy with grandpa." Alsie was quite curious over the Reminiscence, and wondered what it could contain to be of such interest to her. "Well, I won't have to wait long, anyhow," she finally exclaimed, with a laugh.
"Alsie, suppose you and Emily offer to walk out with grandmother when she goes to meet Aunt Martha and little James, on the five o'clock train, and as soon as you get her safely out of the house Uncle Dick can bring the pie and other things into the library, where we can all have a hand in fixing it up later.
Couldn't we have a Christmas pie for grandfather which, instead of having a filling of rich custards or fruits, would contain all the cunning little presents that we grandchildren could make for him?" "Why, Alsie, what an idea! I've heard of the Jack Horner pie and other varieties, perhaps, but who would have thought of the idea of a Christmas pie of that kind!
After a few moments, however, the young woman put her arm tenderly around the little namesake and tried to explain. "I did not intend to burden you, Alsie dear, with my grief, but I feel so sad and somehow I just couldn't keep it shut in any longer it had to come out.
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