At last all were out.

“Now,” said Katy, “let’s throw back the apples and pears, and then I want you to help divide the other things, and make some packages for the girls.  They are all disappointed not to have their boxes.  I should like to have them share ours.  Wouldn’t you, Clover?”

“Yes, indeed.  I was just going to propose it.”

So Clover cut twenty-nine squares of white paper, Rose and Katy sorted and divided, and pretty soon ginger-snaps and almonds and sugar-plums were walking down all the entries, and a gladsome crunching showed that the girls had found pleasant employment.  None of the snowed-up boxes got through till Monday, so except for Katy and Clover the school would have had no Christmas treat at all.

They carried Mrs. Nipson a large slice of cake, and a basket full of the beautiful red apples.  All the teachers were remembered, and the servants.  The S. S. U. C. was convened and feasted; and as for Rose, Louisa, and other special cronies, dainties were heaped upon them with such unsparing hand that they finally remonstrated.

“You’re giving everything away.  You’ll have none left for yourselves.”

“Yes, we shall,—­plenty,” said Clover.  “O Rosy! here’s such a splendid pear!  You must have this.”

“No! no!” protested Rose; but Clover forced it into her pocket.  “The Carrs’ Box” was always quoted in the Nunnery afterward, as an example of what papas and mammas could accomplish, when they were of the right sort, and really wanted to make school-girls happy.  Distributing their treasures kept Katy and Clover so busy that it was not until after dinner that they found time to open the smaller box.  When they did so, they were sorry for the delay.  The box was full of flowers, roses, geranium-leaves, heliotrope, beautiful red and white carnations, all so bedded in cotton that the frost had not touched them.  But they looked chilled, and Katy hastened to put them in warm water, which she had been told was the best way to revive drooping flowers.

Cousin Helen had sent them; and underneath, sewed to the box, that they might not shake about and do mischief, were two flat parcels wrapped in tissue paper, and tied with white ribbon, in Cousin Helen’s, dainty way.  They were glove-cases, of quilted silk, delicately scented, one white, and one lilac; and to each was pinned a loving note, wishing the girls a Merry Christmas.

“How awfully good people are!” said Clover.  “I do think we ought to be the best girls in the world.”

Last of all, Katy made a choice little selection from her stores, a splendid apple, a couple of fine pears, and handful of raisins and figs, and, with a few of the freshest flowers in a wine-glass, she went down the Row and tapped at Miss Jane’s door.

Miss Jane was sitting up for the first time, wrapped in a shawl, and looking very thin and pale.  Katy, who had almost ceased to be afraid of her, went in cheerily.