The minister carved the chicken with the brakeman 's jack-knife and the khaki boy cut up the tongue and the mince pies , while the sealskin lady mixed the raspberry vinegar with its due proportion of water . Bits of paper served as plates . The train furnished a couple of glasses , a tin pint cup was discovered and given to the children , Aunt Cyrilla and Lucy Rose and the sealskin lady drank , turn about , from the latter 's graduated medicine glass , the shop girl and the little mother shared one of the empty bottles , and the khaki boy , the minister , and the train men drank out of the other bottle . Everybody declared they had never enjoyed a meal more in their lives . Certainly it was a merry one , and Aunt Cyrilla 's cooking was never more appreciated ; indeed , the bones of the chicken and the pot of preserves were all that was left . They could not eat the preserves because they had no spoons , so Aunt Cyrilla gave them to the little mother . When all was over , a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Aunt Cyrilla and her basket . The sealskin lady wanted to know how she made her pound cake , and the khaki boy asked for her receipt for jelly cookies . And when two hours later the conductor came in and said the snowploughs had got along and they 'd soon be starting , they all wondered if it could really be less than twenty-four hours since they met . `` I feel as if I 'd been campaigning with you all my life , '' said the khaki boy . At the next station they all parted . The little mother and the children had to take the next train back home . The minister stayed there , and the khaki boy and the sealskin lady changed trains . The sealskin lady shook Aunt Cyrilla 's hand . She no longer looked discontented or cross . `` This has been the pleasantest Christmas I have ever spent , '' she said heartily . `` I shall never forget that wonderful basket of yours . The little shop girl is going home with me . I 've promised her a place in my husband 's store . '' When Aunt Cyrilla and Lucy Rose reached Pembroke there was nobody to meet them because everyone had given up expecting them .
It was not far from the station XXXXX Edward 's house and Aunt Cyrilla elected to walk .
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