Stephen always gave her on her birthday and on Christmas a dutiful and somewhat appropriate gift, though very sorely he was often puzzled to select a thing which should not jar either on his own taste or his mother's sense of utility.

But a gift of this kind, a simple little tribute to her supposed womanly love of the beautiful, a thoughtful arrangement to give her something pleasant to look upon for a time, no one had ever before made.

It gave her an emotion of real gratitude, such as she had seldom felt.
"You are very kind, indeed,--very," she said with emphasis, and in a gentler tone than Mercy had before heard from her lips.

"I shall have a great deal of comfort out of it." Then Mercy set the dish on a small table, and hung up the wreaths in the windows.

As she moved about the room lightly, now and then speaking in her gay, light-hearted voice, Mrs.White thought to herself,-- "Steve was right.