Year: 1868

DCnCu W ulOD ~ III blO SlONO ulISi buO
fire was kindled


Then I don't believe there is one
left in the house. Lucy rose as she
said this, and throwing a shawl over
her night dress, joined her husband in
searching in every possible and impos-
sibe place. In vain.


This is no joke, said Harvey, at
last we are indeed matchless pair.
Get back to your nest, while | look
up something edible and then start for
the station. What's the bill of fare
for breakfast Here are several COW
cred dishes


This is baking-day,' replied Lucy,
ruefully. There are beans in soak
for dinner, and batter stirred up for
buckwheat cakes, and a bowl of yeast
to raise the bread and really, that is
about all.


well, you can't eat raw beans, or
buckwheat batter, and beg you to
let the yeast alone as l don't want you
to rise There must be something
more on hand


There is nothing in the house,
Harvey, except few fragments under
a napkin in the pantry, hardly enough
for the children


She was quite right The entire
stock of edibles in the menage was
barely sufficient for the two young
mouths now ready for it. Mr. Granger
divided the food between the children,
bade them get into their mothers bed
for warmth and society, and then,
Protected by overcoat and gloves and
armed with II wooden shovel, he set
out to break his way to the station.
The distance was quarter Of mile,
and he bade his wife feel no surprise
if he did not return for an hour The
mother told stories and the children
though it great fun, asking, with a
touch of their fathers humor, if that
was the way rich folks always lived
AT length when the hour was fully
expired, the boy, wrapped in his moth
ers shawl, went to look for the good
mans return. He was Just in time.
Granger was at the door, changed al
most beyond recognition. Covered
from head to foot with snow, partially
frozen and wholly exhausted, he reeled
as he entered and caught ot the stair
railing for support. They were all
round him in moment, but he waved
them back to their rest, assuring them
he should be all right when he recov-
cred breath. Then he shook the snow
from his clothing and sat down upon
the stairs.


we are surrounded by impossible
drifts, said he i didn't get more
than dozen rods, and when l found
| must come back, my tracks were
filled and | had to cut my way anew.


The GOODNESS of the house was il
favor His stiffened ears and fingers
changed slowly from white to red an(
from torpor to a burning glow. Bu


the faintness was that Of hunger as
well as fatigue


Have we any stimulants in thu
house p he asked, desperately.


Nothing but camphor, was thu
reply.


i don't know about taking camphol
, and cold water upon anempty stomach
, / think | could swallow a raw egg, i
one could be found


Il wish we had dozens of them, bu
We are quite out. have been wait
ing till they were cheaper


All, Lucy, your economy is likel,
, to 6c my death, pleaded Harvey, VIII
would have been humorous IN ertrem
| is.


Lucy thought, 1t is rather you
t want Of economy but she did not sa,
G it. Wasn't she forbearing?


At dinner-time Harvey omptied
' bottle of tomato catsup, and Lucy an
' the children ate quantity of cracke
. wheat, with manifest relief. The
, they got up a blood red flag, mad
' from an old curtain, which, rugged O
: half-mast, was displayed from the wiz
c dow as a signal of distress. 1t We
@ seen and commented upon, but all tn
@ available muscle of the little vilag
c VAS a mile away upon the snow-ploy
r making effort to clear the railroa
Il track, and there were none who coul


come to the rescue. The early tw
IS light began to fall, and the children
n having supped frugally upon a mi
Y ture of sugar and ginger, moistcnc
with water, (what their father callG
t gingerbread with the bread left out
Y had taken refuge in sleep. Grang'
r sat down in the parlor to consider Il


situation and be out of hearing of h
Y wife's cough.


g How long was this snow blockade
&c last Would his neighbors come


his relief tomorrow, or would the
e think it their duty to clear tho raj
re way first? Would it be possible
d break a road through the drifts befol


the wind went down? The distan
-, was mt great i'm lenotb. but in dent