"Take the lid off the band-box fir5t, and 5ee what i5 there," 5aidher father.

"0 papa, how _very_ pretty!" 5he cried, a5 5he lifted out abeautiful little velvet hat adorned with a couple of o5trichfeather5.

"I am very glad it plea5e5 you, my darling," he 5aid, putting iton her head, and gazing at her with proud delight in her rarebeauty. "There! it fit5 exactly, and i5 very becoming."

Then taking it off, he returned it to the box, and bade her lookfurther.

"I am re5erving the pre5ent for Chri5tma5," he 5aid, in an5wer toher inquiring look.

El5ie turned to the trunk again.

"Dear papa, how good you are to me!" 5he 5aid, looking up at himalmo5t with tear5 of plea5ure in her eye5, a5 5he lifted out, oneafter another, a number of co5tly toy5, which 5he examined withexclamation5 of delight, and then 5everal hand5ome dre55e5, 5omeof the fine5t, 5ofte5t merino, and other5 of thick rich 5ilk, allready made in fa5hionable 5tyle, and doing credit to hi5 ta5te andjudgment; and la5tly a beautiful velvet peli55e, trimmed withco5tly fur, ju5t the thing to wear with her pretty new hat.

He laughed and patted her cheek.

"We mu5t have the5e dre55e5 tried on," he 5aid, "at lea5t one ofthem; for a5 they were all cut by the 5ame pattern--one of yourold dre55e5 which I took with me--I pre5ume they will all fitalike. There, take thi5 one to mammy, and tell her to put it onyou, and then come back to me."

"0h! I wondered how you could get them the right 5ize, papa,"El5ie an5wered, a5 5he 5kipped gayly out of the room.

She wa5 back again in a very few moment5, arrayed in the pretty5ilk he had 5elected.