Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-31

wine greatly, anu ne was sure IL
would cheer up the rest. He made his
plans, and went to work to carry them
out without saying anything about it.
He brought out of corner of the at
tic an old box-trap he had used in
the summer to catch birds and small
animals, set it carefully on the snow,
and scattered crumbs of corn-bread to
attract the birds.
In half an hour he went up again,
and found to his delight he had caught
bigger game-a poor rabbit which had
come from no one knows where over
the crust to find food.
This gave Willie a new idea; they
could have their Christmas dinner after
all; rabbits made very nice pies. Poor
Bunny was quietly laid to rest and the
trap set again. This time he caught
another rabbit, perhaps the mate of the
first. This was the last of the rabbits.
but the next catch was a couple of
snOw-birds. These he carefully placed
in corner of the attic, using the trap
for cage, and giving them plenty of
food and water.
When the girls were fast asleep, with
tears on their faces for the dreadful
Christmas they were going to have,
Willie told mamma about his plans.
Mamma was pale and weak with anx-
iety, and his news first made her laugh
and then cry. But after few moments
given to her long pent-up tears he felt
much better and entered into his plans
heartily.
The two captives up in the attic
were to be Christmas presents to the
girls, and the rabbits were to make the
long-anticipated pie. As for plum-pud-
ding, of course that couldn' t be thought
of.
'.But don't you think, mamma" said
Willie, eagerly, ''that you could make
some sort of cake out of meal, and
wouldn't hickory nuts be good in it?
You know have some left up in the
attic, and might crack them softly up
there, and don't you think they would
be good?" he concluded, anxiously.
swell, perhaps so," said mamma,
anxious to please him and help him in
his generous plans. II can try. If 1
only had some eggs!-but seems to me
/ have heard that snow beaten into
cake would make it Highland there's
snow enough, I'm sure" she added,
with faint smile, the first Willie had
seen for thre. days.
The smile alone he felt to be great
achievement, and he crept carefully up
the ladder, cracked them to the last
one. brought them down. and mamma
picked the Eie.tts out while he dressed
the two rabbits which had come so op-
portunely to be their Christmas dinner.
''Wish you Merry Christmas! he
called out to Nora and Tot when they
walked. '.See wta. Santa Claus has
brought you'll
Before they had time to remember
what sorry Christmas it was to be,
they received their presents, live bird
to each, bird that was never to be
kept in a cage, but fly about the house
till summer came, and then to 90 away
if it wished.
Pets were scarce on the prairie, and
the girls were delighted. Nothing papa
could have brought would have given
them SO much happiness.
They thought no more of the dinner,
but hurried to dress and feed the birds,
which were quite tame from hunger
and weakness. But after awhile they
saw preparations for dinner, too. Nam
ma made crust and lined deep dish
the chicken-pie dish; and then she
brought a mysterious something out of
the cupboard, all cut up so that it
looked as if it might be chicken, and
put it in the dish with other things, and
then she tucked them all under thick
crust, and set it down in tin oven be-
fore the fire to bake. And that was not
all. She got out some more corn-meal
and made a batter, and put in some
sugar and something else which she
slipped in from bowl, and which
looked in the batter something like
raisins; and ut the last moment Willie
brought her cup of snow, and she
hastily beat it into the cake or pudding
whichever you might call it, while
the children laughed at the idea of
making cake out of snow This went
into the same oven, and pretty soon it
rose up light and showed beautiful
brown crust. while the pie was steam
ing through little holes on top, and
sending out most delicious odors.
At the last minute when the table
was set and everything ready to come
up, Willie ran up to look out of the scut-
tie, as he had every hour of daylight
since they were buried. In moment
came wild shout down the ladder.
I" They're coming. Hurrah for Old
Tim:''
Mamma rushed up and looked out,
and saw-to be surc-O!d Tim, slowly
coming along over the crust, drawing
after him wood-sled on which were
two men.
/" It's papa!' shouted Willie, waving
his arms to attract their attention.
Willie!" came back over the snow,
in tones of agony. us that you? Are
all well?"
Z" All well!' shouted Willie, land
just going to have our Christmas din
nern
Dinner?" echoed papa. who was
now nearer. ''Where is the house,
them"
20, down therer' said Willie, sun
der the snow; but we're all right, only
we mustn't let the m-pudding
spoil >
Looking into the attic. Willie found
mamma tainted away, and this news
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