Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-04-17
The Leisure Hour.
SNO WE'D IN.
An uneiden, of the winter of Issa.


"When will you be home, fatherf'
"The day afler tomorrow. If start im-
mediately, can be there by eight or nine
o'clock. The snow looks as though 1t
might be deep. l shal put Bob and Gray
to the sleigh, and take Jack with me-"
at will be so lonely, and somehow, l
wish you were not going"
The girl stopped and opened the stove
door. furlively wiptng her eyes with her
apron.
80 do /, Beckie, but must go. 1 am
Hustun's principal witness, and should
feel very sorry If for want of my testimony,
he lost his farm
~ know II is right, and 1 should not care
so much If Jack would be here, but"
81 shall stop at neighbor Giles's and got
Aunt Lizzie to come over she said she
would do 50. Joe is to bring her, aud stay
and milk and do the feeding while am
gone"
Beckie frightened up at this.
LET Jack get ready, while put some
wood and coal in the shed to be handy,
then will take a bite and be on
Mr.. Wilson was a New England man,
who, finding some difficulty in making a
living out Of his "stony potato patch as he
called the few acres he owned in his native
State, had emigrated to the West and set
tied on one of the rich prairies that there
abound. lie had married a thrifty, active
girl the daughter of a neighboring farmer,
and now owned large farm, with comfort
able house and out-houses. His dwelling
was rather isolated, being some distance
from any Travelled road.
His wife had died six months previous,
leaving him with FIVE children. Jack, the
eldest, was turned of fourteen. Beckie
was in her thirteenth year. James was ten ;
VIII, eight; and the baby, a girl was seven
months old.
Since their mothers death, Beckie had
tried TO supply her place to the other chill
dren. She had taken all the care OF the
baby, and was, as her father called her, a
"little mother" Mr.. Wilson had been
summoned 10 the county town, as witness
on a trial involving the ownership OF a
friends farm, and although the weather
was stormy and cold, he felt that he must
| go.
"Kee2 up the fires, Beckie," he said
while eating his pie "there is wood and
coal enough in the shed to last until gel
back, and take good care of Jamie and the
baby"
"Yes," she replied; adding, "How 1t does
snow, and II has grown colderP
When they had started Becke stood un.
| til they drove out of the yard, and the cur
| tain of fast falling snow almost hid then
from her sight
81 never did see ii snow So she said L
Jamie. "I wish Joe would come,-he II
such good company"
A silent hour passed, interrupted only 10y
wills laugh a. be lay on the floor playinl
with baby. Beckie began to feel uneasy
for the short winter day was drawing to q
c. lose, and neither Aunt Lizzie nor Joe haf
| come.
~ have been watching the snow, Becl 10
l cannot see the garden fence, the flake
fall 80 thick. hope father and Jack viii
be SAFE" said jamie, as she stepped into th
sitting room to get the broom. She hat
gone into the shed for something, and wa
surprised at the depth Of the snow. Sh
went TO the window and looked out.
There was not goose nor duck TO b
seen. The chickens had been driven frou
under the lilac bushes, where they usuall
took refuge in storm.
Again she wished Aunt Lizzie and 10
would come. She began TO feel sort
dread, too, and was little frightened .
the aspect of things. Every moment th
storm increased in violence. oulsid
things were buried in the snow glooI
was creeping over the whole Landscape
She could scarcely distinguish objects thf
she knew to be only few yards distant.
She opened the door again, and went OF
into the shed. As she did so, she heard th
favorite COW, Crumple, lowing, give loni
low below,
"She is at the cow-house door and wan
to get l." she said TO oherselfi 81 will mil
her, for Joe may not come, and baby mu'
have her supper"
She took down an old coat of her father
aud buttoned herself in IL, drew on Jack
cow-hlde boots, tied up her head and ea
in a comforter, then opening the door I'M
/ 4 oula