THINGS CHRISTMASSY 



disfigured with such an abundance of crumbs and other 

 tempting morsels, that, even with the help of all the black, 

 birds from neighbouring copses, they cannot come even 

 with the whole of the feast. 



We give each other enchanting presents. The lovely 

 little carved-wood Joan of Arc, on a bracket in Grandpa's 

 library/ the Madonna of Cluny " prayer-stick " in one 

 corner of the chimney-piece / the Medici copy of Filippino 

 Lippi's wonderful angel in the National Gallery, in the 

 grey and yellow bedroom/ the cut-glass goblets painted 

 with purple plums and red cherries and blue grapes in the 

 drawing-roomall these were this year's Christmas gifts, 

 cunningly chosen, we think, and a constant delight to 

 our eyes. 



Loki's Grandma, after the fashion of a lady in a recent 

 celebrated lawsuit, likes to choose her own presents. But 

 she is not so indelicate as to demand money and buy it 

 herselfNo, she drops an absent hint, as Christmastide 

 draws near. If this is not satisfactory, she abandons 

 diplomacy for an engaging frankness. . . . But she is always 

 overwhelmed with surprise and delight when "the very 

 thing she wanted 7 ' duly appears about the Tree. The 

 Master of the Villino, on his side, has had all the pleasure 

 of purchasing/ and, being of a guileless nature, is often 

 quite persuaded that the choice was his own. 

 In fact we all become like children again at Christmas / and 

 this, after all, cannot be displeasing to the Christ Child. It 



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