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housekeeping, and so forth. And then, after dinner, we will draw near the fire; I next to Eugene, and my father, our guest, on the other side of me, with his long grey hair, and his good fine face, with a tear of kind feeling in his eye: you know that look he has whenever he is affected. And at a little distance on the other side of the hearth, will be you, and—and Walter—I suppose we must make room for him. And Eugene, who will be then the liveliest of you all, shall read to us with his soft clear voice, or tell us all about the birds and flowers, and strange things in other countries. And then after supper we will walk half-way home across that beautiful valley, beautiful even in winter, with my father and Walter, and count the stars, and take new lessons in astronomy, and hear tales about the astrologers and the alchymists, with their fine old dreams. Ah! it will be such a happy Christmas, Ellinor! And then when spring comes, some fine morning—finer than this, when the birds are about, and