The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-12-21

1t was New Years. and all my aunts
and uncles had come from town to
spend the day. They always said it
was such treat to get in the country.
and they liked to come and always did
on New Years. On Christmas we went
to their house.
This was cold, snowy morning, and
us boys was all sittin' round the fire.
wonderin' what to do, when Aunt Mil
lie said: Boys. how would you like to
skate up the river to the pine woods
and get some green boughs for the
house? 1t will seem so much more
like New Years with decorations.''
Now there was Fred and George and
Ned and me, and we just looked at each
other and jumped for our skates. That
was what we had been aching to do.
In a few minutes away we went up
the river. The ice was good. and we all
felt pretty happy about the turkey and
the mince pies we was a-goin' to have
for dinner.
We skated about 11a miles, and then
went in the woods. Ned climbed the
tree and cut off the branches, and we
tied them all up with rope we had
brought, SO as to carry them easy, and
then we went farther in the woods to
explore. Ned. my cousin, who was
ahead, stopped all of sudden and
said: "What's that?''
''Looks like smoke" said I.
"P'r'aps it's Indians" said Fred, my
cousin from town; ''let's go home"
"Pooh! Indians," said my brother
George; 1--WE don't have Indians here
We walked on a little, and soon saw
through the pine trees a little log hut
with the smoke a-pouring out of the
chimney.
LETS 60 and peek in," said George,
"-All right said ].
knew it was real mean, but we crept
up, real quiet-like, and peeped through
the cracks. There wasn't any win.
dows.
And what do you s'pose we saw? a
man, a women and a little teller, q
baby, just big 'nough to walk, all sit
tim by an old stove, a~tryin' to keep
warm.
And what do you s'pose they had for
a New Years dinner? Just guess!
Some dry bread, without any butter,
and three potatoes-one apiece for 'em.
Then the table had red cloth, all holes,
and tin plates and cups.
When the little Teller saw what was
on his plate he just cried and looked
so hungry. Then the woman looked at
the man and begun to cry. We stopped
a-loo]<in' then, and all seemed to think
the same thing at once, for we all said {:
''Let's fetch 'em New Years dinner.'
Yes, let's" said Fred, who had kept
pretty still, bein' afraid they was In
dams.
Well, now, you just ought to have
seen us run. We took up the boughs
and away we went home, like the wind
We was all out Of breath when we got
there, and all tried to talk at once, and
they couldn't make word out of wha t
we said. So. finally said: Nov, see
here, boys, I'm the biggest, and let me
tell it," So they kept pretty still till
come to the part a bout the little chap
and then they all chimed in again.
Then my mother says: 'Well, boys
what is it you want to dO?"
Take 'em New Years dinner" we
said all at once.
Then mother sat and didn't say any.
thing for a minute, and then all at once
she s'prised us by sayin': Boys, I'm
afraid there isn't enough for so many
Then George began to cry-that was
just like George-and said: ooh, moth.
er, if you'd a-seen how that little felle,
looked!"
Then mother said, kind a quiet-like
lookin' at us boys: "Would you be
willing to give them your share of the
dinner?"
That was terrible!
We looked at each other, and kinj
a-swallowed down the Jumps in on,
threats. We'd been a-thinkin' about
that dinner all morning, and coulG
smell the turkey and all the gooc
things.
At last l spoke up and spoke reai
loud:
II Will.'
Then Ned said: '@Me, too."
And Fred and George said: Eyes;
let's do"
Then mother smiled and went out
into the kitchen, and in minute poke6
her head in the door and said: "Shal
l put in your share of the pudding
too?" Now, that was worse than all
but we said real loud and atIong: "Yos