Give it him if
you have it."
"I keep a little in the house," I said reluctantly perhaps,
"in case of illness."
"Tut, tut," said Father Time, as something as near as
could be to a smile passed over his shadowy face. "In
case of illness! They used to say that in ancient Babylon.
Here, let me pour it for him. Drink, Father Christmas,
drink!"
Marvellous it was to see the old man smack his lips as
he drank his glass of liquor neat after the fashion of
old Norway.
Marvellous, too, to see the way in which, with the warmth
of the fire and the generous glow of the spirits, his
face changed and brightened till the old-time cheerfulness
beamed again upon it.
He looked about him, as it were, with a new and growing
interest.
"A pleasant room," he said. "And what better, sir, than
the wind without and a brave fire within!"
Then his eye fell upon the mantelpiece, where lay among
the litter of books and pipes a little toy horse.
"Ah," said Father Christmas almost gayly, "children in
the house!"
"One," I answered, "the sweetest boy in all the world."
"I'll be bound he is!" said Father Christmas and he broke
now into a merry laugh that did one's heart good to hear.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221