Year: 1868

clouds, that sometimes parted, and
showed . Steel-cOlered background, in
tense and cold, and immeasurably dis
tant. Wide before us spread the waste,
white, uninhabited fields, nearest
house mile away, and its chimney only
visible above the hills which hid it. A
tawny, brazen belt of light lying along
the west, where the sun had gone down,
Illuminated the snow, and gave weird
character to the whole scene. There
was high wind swaying the tops of
the tall trees before the house; and once
in while you would see fragment of
cloud caught from the great gray cur
tain, and torn into shreds, FOR raveled
into thin web, which seemed for a
moment to shut close down upon US.
1t was strange night, strange sky.


II felt vague alarm. But / tried to
speak cheerfully. 1T is too cold to
snow, mother!'


"She pointed to the window. Even
as spoke the air was suddenly dark
ened by a multitude of fine fakes, that
crowded faster and faster, and were
swirled about by the wind, and quick
ly built up wall around the door.


GAS it grew dark the storm increas-
ed. The wind, which had been blow
ing steadily all day, rose to a gale. 1t
tugged at the doors and windows; it
thundered down the chimney; it
caught the little house, and shook it
till the timbers creaked; the noise was
truly awful. We got the boys into the
trundle-bed as soon as we could, and
then mother brought out her wheel,
and took my knitting. There was
great blazing fire on the hearth, and
the room was so warm that the yarn
ran beautifully. Mother made out her
stint that night; she was a famous
spinner, and the wheel went as fast and
the yarn was as even as if she had not
been so dreadfully worried about father.
But every few minutes she would stop
and say she hoped he had not started,
or that, having set out, he would be
warned in time and stop by the way.


'1twas so strange to see mother, who
was usually calm, SO put about that I
got very nervous, and was glad when
she stopped the wheel, and twisted up
the yarn she had spun. But as she
turned around toward me with it in her
hand, she looked so strange that cried
out to know what was the matter.


ait is nothing she whispered; but
l took hold of her, and steadied her
down into the armchair, and then ran
for the camphOr. That brought her
round; but now she looked feverish, and
was shaking all over, and l knew that
she was going to have one of her i'll
turns, possibly lung-fever,-for her
lungs were but weak, and she rarely
got over the winter without a fever
The thought made me half wild, but
dared not wait to cry or fret. l knew
there was no time to be lost, and l hur-
ried around, and gave her warm foot
bath, and kept hot fannels on her chest,
and made her drink nice bowl of herb
tea as soon as she was in bed; for I
thought when the perspiration started
she would be relieved. l was glad
enough when the great drops stood on
her forehead. Yet the hard breath
ing and the rattling in the chest were
not cured. kept renewing the steam
ing fannels, as the doctor always direct
ed, till she fell asleep. She slept almost
almost all night, and / sat in the chair
by her, occasionally rousing up to put
more wood on the FIRE, and listen to the
wind, which still held as fierce as it was
at sundown.


''By and by dozed,- Il don't know
how long, but was wakened by hear
ing Jem call out, Mercy! why don't it
come day?'


Il started up. My fire had gone
down, and the room was dark, Mother
was breathing heavily beside me.


"'I say, Mercy, is MT it morning7
Why don't we get up7' persisted Jem.


81 begged him to be still, and, rising,
made my way to the clock. l could
not see the face, but by touching the
hands made out that it was eight
o'clock. l knew now that we were
showed up, and that was the reason
whyit was so dark,


II kindIed up the fire and lighted a
pine knot. Jem and David came up
to the hearth to dress, half crying and
fretting for mother. But pacifed
them with a breakfast of bread and milk,
and while they were eating it ventured
to open door. There was solid wall
of snow. Hooked into the forenoon,
it was as dark as a cellar.s Then l
ran up my stairs, and here the little
courage had fOrsook me, and / grew
weak and sick. For the snow was al
ready even with the chamber window,
and all the outbuildings were as COM
pletsly hidden as if the earth had swal-
lowed them in the night.


II ran down stairs hastily, for l heard
mother call.


"She looked up at me anxiOusly.
How is it, MerCyl'


"Im afraid, mother, we are showed
up said.


"'And I'm sick!'