The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-29
.X X Ae

"A EVER had a colder day been sui
 fered. Every tree was so frozen
 that it's hundreds of large and
 small limbs cracked as the winds
 blew against and through them. Icicles hung stiffiy from the caves of tho little house in which the Dearlings lived. And the house itself shuddered between huge drifts of snow which had been piled and piled by the winds from !he north.
 The Dearlings shivered beside a dying Gre inside the house; mother, son and baby daughter. The father had gone Into the woods to get some fuel for tho fire. He had been away all the af ternoon, and now the evening shadows had begun to fall, and Mother Dear ling was becoming bit anxious about her husbands continued absence. for the weather was not the kind to be exposed to at evening time.
 ''It's strange that father doesn't re- turn" said Mother Dearling, address Ing Tommy her 10-year-old son. Hes been away for three hours. And the ice will get into his blood if he doesn't come to the fire soon. l wonder If some accident might have happened him.
 Tommy's face grew serious. Fa."et always crosses the creek on the ice at this time of year." he remarked. May pc the ice was thin and gave way beneatn him and his load of wood"
 Mother Dearling shuddered at the mere thought. "Could you run down to the creek and see?' she asked. in tones or anxiety. Put on your warmest coat and then wrap my double cloak apou' you."
 "Yes, mother, l can run down to the crossing place and see if there are my signs of father having crossed with the load" And Tommy hastily put on his warmest coat and then his mothers heavy double cape. His eyes peepea from beneath coonskin cap and his feet were incased in heavy homemade sheepskin shoes. He carried rough wooden stick in his hands to assist his getting through the deep snow.
 Down the hillside he went as fast as he could make his way through the snow. He soon reached the place on the creeks bank where his father crossed to the heavy woods beyond. In that woods. Father Dearling always found plenty of good fuel. picking up the dead limbs on the earth or felling dead trees Never a living tree would he touch. for he thought that would be wrong "So lcng as Nature supplies us with dry fuel in the shape of dead trees shail not touch q living tree with my ax."
 And this good resolution had caused
 
 this cold day in January. Many neigh boring farmers. and hunters. and rowing tribes of Indians tfor tais story deals of the early days in the United statesl had discovered the plentiful supply of fne dry wood in this particular wood, and had been busy for days gathering it.
 At last the frost got into his very mar row, and be found himself miles from home. As yet he had procured but an armful of frozen bark and sticks. not sufficient wood to keep the house warm through the evening, not to speak of the morning, when there must be a Ire to last until he could go after more fuel
 He struggled homewnrd carrying the wood over his shoulder. Now and again he stumbled and fell into the snow. and eacl time. he found 1t more difficult to rise and proceed on his way.
 And while his poor half-frozen father was struggling against cold that was not only terrible. but dangerous. Tommy was