arrived at the Hall; the faithful Barton, with little Tom at his side, stood ready to open the gates, and in a few minutes Charles was again rejoicing his mother's heart. Arthur and Freddy were the happiest of the happy. It was not long before pleasant greetings were exchanged with the Leslies and Grays, and the three families met almost daily, as in the summer.

Christmas, with its kindly cheer and its holy rites, drew on. Once more they went up to the house of prayer in company, and heard the words of their beloved and honoured pastor.

The poor were fed, and

clothed, and warmed. The schoolroom was decorated with holly - berries and evergreens, and a happy party regaled with tea and plum-cake.

A fine branch of mistletoe formed one of the ornaments of the schoolroom on this occasion: it had been gathered by George from the bough of an old apple-tree overhanging the fish - pond, and not easy to reach.

MISTLETOE.

It was much admired, and Charles asked Mr.

Gray if he had ever seen it grow on an oak.

"Of course it did so in former times," he added;

BROOM-RAPE.

"since we are told that the Druids gathered the mistletoe of the oak with

many ceremonies."

"I have seen it on the oak in Wales," Mr. Gray replied; "but it is more usually found on the apple or the hawthorn. There is good reason to suspect that it did not commonly prefer the oak to other trees, even in the times you refer to, Charles. The Druids are said to have made solemn search after the mistletoe of the oak on the sixth day of the moon at the beginning of the year, and when found, there was great rejoicing over it. It is a favourite subject of legend in the old Scandinavian mythology. I believe the good people in former ages fancied there must be some

mystery about a plant that did not spring out of the earth, but found support for itself on another vegetable. Modern botanists could add to the store of such marvels, by pointing out many other plants that obtain their nourishment in the same way as the mistletoe, and are therefore called parasitical plants."

"Oh yes," said Arthur, "there is the dodder, and the broom-rape, and I do not know how many more."

"Well," said Harry, "I think the mistletoe is a good jolly plant. It always comes at merry Christmas, and I like to see it set up with holly berries."

"And I think, Harry," said Charles, "you enjoy cutting it down with that good stout pocketknife of yours, just as much as the white-robed Druid did carving it from the tree with his golden sickle."

"But it was not only the Druids," said Mr. Leslie, that made a ceremony of gathering the mistletoe. Much later, during the times when our feudal barons kept open house at Christmas, it was gathered with rejoicing. The Druid gathered it to employ in his mistaken worship, and he placed it on the altar as an acceptable offering to his gods. But I speak of it in later times, when it was used to deck out the old halls in which Christmas company was to meet.

On Christmas Eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas Eve the mass was sung
The damsel donn'd her kirtle sheen,
The hall was dress'd with holly green.
Forth to the woods did merry men go
To gather in the mistletoe.

Then open wide the Baron's hall,

To vassal, tenant, serf, and all.'

We gather it now at the same season, and there is joy in our households when the holly and the mistletoe supply the place of summer flowers. Our joy, however, is, or ought to be, of a higher, holier, and more chastened character than the rejoicings of those who lived in those earlier days. They had not our light, nor our privileges of every kind, to guide them, and lift their hearts from earth to heaven."

"I can't think," said Arthur, "how it is that the plant sows itself on any tree. It cannot drop into a tree at a distance, as some seeds drop into the earth. And it has not a feathery sort of tip, like the thistle and the dandelion, to make it fly off when the wind blows."

"It is very true. But the birds are believed to be the seed-sowers in this case," said Mr. Leslie. "The berries are very glutinous, and it is thought that when, after feasting on them, a thrush or a blackbird cleans its bill by rubbing it against the branch of a tree, some of the seeds which have remained with the gummy juice on the outside of the bill, are fixed on the bark of a tree by this

means. If there is much moisture the seed lives, sends out roots, and in the following winter a fresh plant is found."

More than once Arthur and George went with Charles and Bruce to the skating pond, to their great delight. Mrs. Gray could not make up her mind to trust Harry in the party, till a promise from Charles Neville to consider him his particular charge, gave him this treat for once. It was no small addition to his pleasure that he heard the cries of several of the water-fowl as they flew off to their feeding grounds in the evening. The wild swan did not favour him with his bugle note, though Arthur and George had heard it the day before.

Merry evenings at all the houses; now by one fireside, now by another. Amusement and occupation suited to the taste of all parties were provided. Clara Elliot sung Scotch songs, and told amusing stories of Scotch superstitions. Bruce Elliot related many a tempting adventure in the Highlands and the Lowlands. He told them of his visits to Cambuskenneth Abbey, and to the pass of Killicrankie, the field of Bannockburn, Glamorris Castle, and many other spots renowned in story. His descriptions made them long to travel amid the scenes of wild beauty he delighted in setting before them.”

"I do hope I shall go to Scotland some day," said Emily; "Papa has promised to take us when we are older."

R