Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-12-24
UNDER THE SNOW.
The Queer Way in Which a Fam
lily Spent Christmas.

'And don't forget the Christmas din
ner,papa," said Willie.
Especially the chickens for the pier'
put in Nora.
"An' the raisins," pipcd up little Tot,
standing on tip-toe to give papa good
bye kiss.
81 hate to have you 60, George" said
Mrs. Barnes, anxiously. at looks to
me like a storm"
80, guess it won't be much" said
Mr.. Barnes, lightly, land the young
STEERS must have their Christmas dinner,
you know"
"Well," said Mrs. Barnes, "rcmem-
Der this, George, if there is bad storm
don't try to come back. Stay in the
village till it is over. We can get along
alone a few days. Can't we, Willie?"
turning to the boy, who was giving the
e!sst touches to the harness of Old Tim,
the horse.
80, yes! papa, 1 can take care of
mamma" said Willie, earnestly.
Sand get up the Christmas dinner
out of nothing?" asked papa, smiling.
Il don't know" said Willie, hesitat-
ing, as he remembered the proposed
dinner in which he felt deep interest.
''What could you do for the chicken
pie?" went on papa, with roguish
look in his eye, ''or the plum pud-
ding?'
''Or the raisinsr' broke in Tot, anx-
iously.
''Tot has set her heart on the rails
ms" said papa, tossing the small
maiden up higher than his head, and
dropping her all laughing on the door
step, land Tot shall have them sure,
if papa can find them in s.. Now
goodbye all! Willie, remember to take
care of mamma, and l depend on you
to get up Christmas dinner if / don't
get back. Now wife don't worry"
were his last words as the faithful old
horse started down the road.
Mrs. Barnes turned one more glance
to the west, where a low, heavy bank
of clouds was slowly rising, and went
into the little house to attend to her
morning duties.
''Willie," she said, when they were
all in the snug little log cabin in which
they lived, I'm sure there's going to
be storm, and it may be snow. You
had better prepare enough wood for
two or three days; Nora will help
bring it in"
me, tool" said grave little Tot.
Eyes, Tot may help, too" said
mamma.
This simple little house on the
place. and soon every one was hard at
work. 1t was late in the afternoon be-
fore the pile of wood, which had been
steadily growing all day, was high
enough to satisfy Willie, for now there
was no doubt about the coming storm,
and, being but few days before Christ
mas, it would probably bring snow, no
one could guess how much, in that
country of heavy storms.
81 wish the village was not so far off,
so that papa could get back tonight"
said Willie, as he came in with his last
load.
Mrs. Barnes glanced out of the Win
dow. Broad scattering snowflakes
were silently falling, the advance
guard, she felt them to be, of numer-
Gus host.
$50 do l." she replied, anxiously. "or
that he did not have to come over that
dreadful prairie where it is so easy to
get lost"
''But Old Tim knows the way, even in
the dark" said Willie, proudly. II
believe he knows morn some folks"
mo doubt he does about the way
home" said mamma, land we won't
worry about papa, but have our supper
and go to bed: That'll make the time
seem Short
The meal was soon eaten and cleared
away, the fire carefully covered up on
the hearth and the whole little family
quietly in bed. Then the storm which
had been making ready all day came
down upon them in earnest. The bleak
wind howled around the corners, the
white flakes by millions and millions
came with 1t and hurled themselves
upon that house. In fact, that poor
little cabin alone on the wild prairie
seemed to be the object of their sport.
They sifted through the cracks in the
walls, around the windows and under
the door, and made pretty little drifts
on the floor They piled up against it
outside, covered the steps and then the
door, and then the windows, and then
the roof, and at last buried it COMPLETE