Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-22
CHAPTER II.
poop REPTILE

If Kitty had not been the very best little
| mare that ever drew a wagon behind her, she
never would have got to Thornley, station. 1t
had given up showing and the sun was shin
ing little. SO, as we thought Their, would
be room enough, coming back, I was tempted
to brave tie weather and go down with Sam
to meet the train.
For thirty years there had been no such
snow storm kno vn in this part of the country.
AS we drove a!ong-if should no rather call
it ploWing-the corn ticks showed like so
| many tumuii. Even the highest hedrcrows
could only be traced as long, sharp ridges.
for the snow bad drifted against them till ali
was buried save here and there a tree There
was mile OF common land, newly enclosed.
which we had to cross, and here where all
was level, and the fences were low, it was
simply one great stretch Of white, where to
keep the road was no easy matter
Thanks mainly to the necessity OF running
extra trains at Christmas time our branch
line had with great difficulty been kept open.
The trains were running, and the train for
which we had to wait was not more than q
quarter OF an hour late.
Long before we saw them we could hear
| our young folks. They were chaf1iae the sta.
ton master, advising him to Go toJercho, ITO
jump up,'' and to do other things which Ger
tainly form no part Of q station masters ord
nary duties.
Driving home was hardly any easier task
than driving out had been. For though
we certainly had our own track to drive back
upon there was the added weight of five new
passengers, which even to Kitty was no Joke
on such day as this. The boys, however,
declared it splendid, and the more likelihood
there was of our sticking fast, the NOR seen-
did they declared it, the more glad they
were to jump out behind, and, under pretence
OF pushing the wagon, roll each other in the
snow and put snowballs down each others
Hnnl N,,<
three other vehicles, and al all cross. roads
could see that heavy as had been the snow it
had not been heavy enough to keep people in
doors who had the excuses Of hospitality for
going out.
Home at last, just as the shades of night
were falling rapidly, and just as the freight
began to redden the window panes. Then
the bustle Of Misunderstanding, kissing, uncoat-
ing, and finger warming. Then the first gen
eral inquiries about school, and lessons, and
prizes, about skating and sliding, about home
and home friends. All these things were over.
and the lads were sitting or standing round
the fire, while Helen and were busy with
our decorations, twisting Wreaths of holly
round the pictures and mirrors, and prickiny
our fingers TIL they blcd in doing SO. Sud,
denly frank called out to Helen: "But, aunt,
where's Bertie-I have not seen himY"
"oh, he's asleep said Helen7 you'n see
him and hear him too by-and-by." Then as
if reminded by this, she it her holIy-wreaths
and ran upstairs to see if all the recent noise
had not walked him. In a minute she was
down again, and said: "He's not in his cot;
some of them have got him in the kitchen
run, Frank, and fetch him"
Soon Fr"nk was back again, and back
without the baby Then the mother began
ornn about the house searching, and to grow
uneasy, One OF the maids, however had been
sent some-half hour ago to a neighbours, and
was expected back directly. 1t was presumed
though no one had seen her take him, t. at
she had the baby with her. In a few minutes
she came in and knew nothing OF baby BERTHE.
Baby Berthe was eighteen months Old. and
had just discontinued crawling and taken to
walking. His little feet were forever patter
ing from room to room. His little hands were
forever laying hold of friendly skirts and coat
tails His little legs were forever carrying him
slowly up stairs and tumbling him down again
| with much greater rapidity. BERTHE, in short
had just got to that age That when in sight he
was in everybody's way. and when out of sight
he was a cause of constantterror lest he should
come to mischief. 1t was only when he was
asleep that he was considered safe, and that