“Oh! it’s one of Debby’s jumbles!” she exclaimed.

“Where?  What are you doing?  Give me one too!” cried Clover, starting up.  Katy rummaged till she found another, then, half frozen, she ran back to bed; and the two lay nibbling the jumbles, and talking about home, till dawn deepened into daylight, and morning was fairly come.

Breakfast was half an hour later than usual, which was comfortable.  As soon as it was over, the girls proceeded to unpack their box.  The day was so cold that they wrapped themselves in shawls, and Clover put on a hood and thick gloves.  Rose Red, passing the door, burst out laughing, and recommended that she should add india rubbers and an umbrella.

“Come in,” cried the sisters,—­“come in, and help us open our box.”

“Oh, by the way, you have a box, haven’t you?” said Rose, who was perfectly aware of the important fact, and had presented herself with the hope of being asked to look on.  “Thank you, but perhaps I would better come some other time.  I shall be in your way.”

“You humbug!” said Clover, while Katy seized Rose and pulled her into the room.  “There, sit on the bed, you ridiculous goose, and put on my gray cloak.  How can you be so absurd as to say you won’t?  You know we want you, and you know you came on purpose!”

“Did I?  Well, perhaps I did,” laughed Rose.  Then Katy lifted off the lid and set it against the door.  It was an exciting moment.

“Just look here!” cried Katy.

The top of the box was mostly taken up with four square paper boxes, round which parcels of all shapes and sized were wedged and fitted.  The whole was a miracle of packing.  It had taken Miss Finch three mornings, with assistance from old Mary, and much advice from Elsie, to do it so beautifully.

Each box held a different kind of cake.  One was of jumbles, another of ginger-snaps, a third of crullers, and the fourth contained a big square loaf of frosted plum-cake, with a circle of sugar almonds set in the frosting.  How the trio exclaimed at this!

“I never imagined any thing so nice,” declared Rose, with her mouth full of jumble.  “As for those snaps, they’re simply perfect.  What can be in all those fascinating bundles?  Do hurry and open one, Katy.”

Dear little Elsie!  The first two bundles opened were hers, a white hood for Katy, and a blue one for Clover, both of her own knitting, and so nicely done.  The girls were enchanted.

“How she has improved!” said Katy.  “She knits better than either of us, Clover.”

“There never was such a clever little darling!” responded Clover, and they patted the hoods, tried them on before the glass, and spent so much time in admiring them that Rose grew impatient.

“I declare,” she cried, “it isn’t any of my funeral, I know; but if you don’t open another parcel soon, I shall certainly fall to myself.  It seems as if, what with cold and curiosity, I couldn’t wait.”