94 MY ARCTIC JOURNAL 



Mr. Peary made a goodly supply of milk-punch, which was 

 placed upon the table, together with cakes, cookies, candies, 

 nuts, and raisins. He gave each of the boys a book as a 

 Christmas gift. We spent the evening in playing games and 

 chatting, and at midnight Mr. Peary and I retired to our room 

 to open some letters, boxes, and parcels given to us by kind 

 friends, and marked, " To be opened Christmas eve at mid- 

 night." I think our feeling of pleasure at the many and 

 thoughtful remembrances was clouded by the feeling of intense 

 homesickness which involuntarily came with it. It was the 

 first Christmas in my life spent away from home, and for the 

 first time since the little " Kite " steamed out of Brooklyn I 

 felt how very far away we are from those we love and who 

 love us. I shall never forget the thoughtful kindness of Mrs. 

 Beyer, wife of the governor of Upernavik, to a perfect stranger. 

 Although she is obliged to get all her supplies from Denmark, 

 and then order them a year in advance, out of her slender 

 stock she had filled a large box with conserves, preserves, 

 bonbons, spice-cakes, tissue-paper knickknacks for decorating 

 the table, and very pretty cards wishing us a merry Christ- 

 mas. Mr. Peary had carved for me two beautiful hairpins, and 

 I made a guidon out of a silk handkerchief and a piece of 

 one of my dresses, to be carried by him on his long journey 

 over the ice-cap to the northern terminus of Greenland. 



Yesterday — Christmas morning — we had a late breakfast, 

 and it was very near noon before all the inmates of Redcliffe 

 were astir. I had decided to have an early dinner, and then to 



