Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1901-02-28

and uncles had come from town to
spend the day. They always said it
was such a 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? 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 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 IA 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: whats 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 little log hut,
with the smoke a-pouring out of the
chimney.
Lets go and peek in," said George.
"All right" said I.
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 little teller, a
baby, just big 'nough to walk, all sit
tin by an old stove, a-tryin' to keep
warm.
And what do you s'pose they had for
Q New Years dinner? Just guess!
| Some dry bread, without any butter,
| and three potatoes-one apiece for 'em.
| Then the ia BILE had a 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-lookin' then, and all seemed to think
the same thing at once, for we all said:
Lets fetch 'em New Years dinner"
eyes, 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 what
we said. So, finally said: snow, see
here, boys, I'm the biggest, and let me
tell it," So they kept pretty still till
come to the part about the little chap,
and then they all ohimed in again.
Then my mother says: We'll boys,
what is it you want to do?"
Take 'em a New Years dinner" we
said all at once.
Then mother sat and didn't say any
thing for minute, and then all at once
she s'prised us by sayin': Boys, I'm
afraid there isn't enough for 30 many"
Then George began to cry-that was
Just like George-and said: ooh, moth
er, if you'd a-seen how that little Teller
looked"
Then mother said, kind quiet-Eke,
tookin' at us boys: "Would you be
willing to give them your share of the
dinner?"
That was terriblel
| We looked at each other, and kind
a-swallowed down the Jumps in our
throats. We'd been a-thinkin' about
that dinner all morning, and could
smell the turkey and all the good
things.
At last 1 spoke up and spoke real