Little Falls herald., 1900-12-14

1t was New Years, ana 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.
wonderful 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? It 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 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 1h miles, and then
went in the woods. Ned climbed the
tree and cut off the branches, and we
tied them all up with a, 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 a sudden and
said: whats that?''
Looks like smoke" said 7.
"P'r'aps it's Indians" said Fred, my
cousin from town; let's go home
"Pooh! Indians said my brother
George; eve don't have Indians here. ,
We walked on little, and soon saw
through the pine trees a little log hut
with the smoke a-pouring out of the
chimney.
Lets go and peek in," said George
"All right said 1.
knew it was real mean, but we crep1
up, real quiet-like. and peeped through
the cracks. There wasn't any win
dows.
And what do you s'pose we saw? =
! man, a. women and a little feller, ;
| baby. just big 'nough to walk. ali sit
tin by an old stove, a-tryin' to keel
| warm.
And what do you spose they had fo7
| a New Years dinner? Just guess
Some dry bread, without any butter
and three potatoes-one apiece for EN-
Then the table had red cloth. all holes
and tin plates and cups.
| When the little feller saw what wa
| on his plate he just cried and looked
| so hungry. Then the woman looked a
| the man and begun to cry. We stopped
a-lookin' then, and all seemed to thin]
| the same thing at once, for we all said
| Lets fetch 'em New Years dinner.
"Yes, let's," said Fred, who had KEEP
pretty still, bein' afraid they. was In
dians.
| Well, now, you just ought to hav
| seen US run. We took up the boughs
| and away we went home, like the wind
! We was all out of breath when we go
| there, and all tried to talk at once, ant
they couldn't make word out of wha
we said. So, finally said: Nov, se'
here. boys, I'm the biggest, and let m
tell it," So they kept pretty still til
j I come to the part about the little chap
and then they all chimed in again.
| Then my mother says: We'll, boys
what is it you want to do?'
| Take 'em New Years dinner W,
said all at:once.
| Then mother sat and didn't say any
thing for minute, and then all at one
she s'prised us by sayin': Boys, Tn
afraid there isn't enough for so many.
| Then George began to cry-that wa
! Just like George-and said: ooh, moth
| looked!''
Then mother said, kind a quiet-like
! lookin' at us boys: would you b.
willing to give them your share of tn,
| dinner?' ~....-
| That was terrible!
We looked at each other, and kin,
a-swallowed down the. Jumps in or
throats. We'd been a-thinkin' abou
that dinner all morning, and. coul,
smell the. turkey and all the xoot
things.
At last I spoke up and spoke rea
loud:
II will.''
Then Ned said: ME, too."
And Fred and George said: 'Yes
! let's do" - =
! Then mother smiled and went ou
into the kitchen, and in minute poke,
her headsin the door and said: "Shal
put in your share of the pudding
too?" Now, that>was worse than ali
but we said real loud and strong: .Yes
ma'am."
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