Year: 1878

The autumn following the cherry branch
affair be fell out of the second story win
dow while trying to reach birds nest thai
q dear little brown-w winged bird had made
in the old apple tree that stood by the back
porch. ''Oh dear. Oh dear" cried hi,
mother, who looked up just as his heel,
were disappearing, my childw And
while she was quietly fainting away. poor
thing, not being very strong, Grizzly
was rolling about on top of a load of hay
that had been passing below the window
on its way TO the barn, as be fell out, and
shouting 'Ha a-y amt this fun ?'


And one winter morning, when all the
boys were sliding down hil-a very steep
hill it was, and it their fathers had known
they were there, ! am afraid some OF them
would have gone supperless, and the rest
had their jackets dusted-Griswold's sled
shot out IRON under him. and away he
went, turning summersets (though think,
in this case, they might more appropriate
ly be called wintersets), until out OF sight
of bis frightened chums. And when they
his ehums, ! mean, had slid, hoped,
sledded and scrambled down to the foot
of the hill, 10 pick up what was left of him,
there satGriZzly Bear, his sleeves torn open
tothe elbows, and holes where the knees OF
his trousers should have been, and lump
about the size of walnut on his forhead
looking with a delighted grin al an old
fashioned silver dollar which he had spied
the moment he found himself right side
up, in wide crevice on the tree stump
that had stopped him in his wild career.


But all these things are nothing to what
happened to Griswold Burr, one Christ
mas eve, when he was about twelve years
old. At that time his mother-who was
a widow-lived in verv small cottage
on the extreme bank of Wildduck bay.
Well, this Christmas eve, there was ter
rible storm. 1t had been very mild wealth
er so far, and the bay had not been iroz-
en- over, as it always had been by Christ
mas time preceding winters-when, after
a bright SUNNY day. and starlight evening
along came the wind from over the water
and shook the small wooden cottage, first
this way aud that. The Burr family were
in bed and fast asleep. The children's
stockings-tbere were three children, two
small girls and swold-hung by the
chimney, and the Christmas pies. two
mince and pumpkin, were nicely baked
and locked up in the big tea chest thai
Griswold's ialher-he had been sailor
Utu DbtDt Ntdls DtlOlt, anu lut
key hidden away, Mrs. Burr said ION ac-
count OF the rats" but we boys know all
about that, when the wind came along,
as said before. and nearly knocked the
little house over.


Out of the bed sprang Mrs. Burr, only
half awake dragging her two daughters
with her, and fortunately blanket trailed
after them; and as the house righted it,
self she flew TO the door and out into the
road, calling loudly-she was wide awake
by this time-to her only son, who slept
IN the garret, to come down; but no
''GriswoId" appeared, and in another in
slant the distracted mother saw the wind.
which seemed nov to come from all di-
rections instead of one, lit the cottage
from the ground, fling it Y pom the waters.
and send it sailing away. Nearly wild
with fright and grief, halt carrying, drag
gin the poor little scared, shivering girls
stopping every now and then TO wrap
the blanket about them, she reached the
house OF her nearest neIghbor. half mile
away, and finding the family all up and
listening To the storm, with many tears
she told her sorrowiul story.


Nothing could be done until morning
came; but as soon as the first streak ul
light showed in the east, dozen men
started IN their boats to fiud, it possible
the drowned boy. IL must 20 too, i" said
the pale mother. 81 must be the first to
take my darling in my arms


His pretty brown curls must be
smoothed by his mothers fingers, his dear
head laid on his mothers bosom" "And
We must 90 with mamma" said the little
ones. And so the kind men Warped
them up warmly and put them IN the
largest boat, aud away they started Just
as the sun burst over the hills, bright aud
beautiful, and the early Christmas chimes
rang out upon the air.


They rowed about hither and thither for
an hour or two, when the mother-ah
whose eyes are as "a mothers when she is
looking for her child ?--caught sight OF
something propped up against the bank
which they We're hearing. There lhere.'
she cried, pointing with trembling hand.
1t was the house. The wind had set II
atioat, and IL had driited across the bay,
until it had been landed on the beach, and
on the tide receding, had remained, look
ing like house that mad taken entirely
too much drink-leanng against the high
bank.


COuId tndJ De smoke coming SLOWLY out
of the chimney Good heavens There
must have been a remnant of fire in the
stove. that all the water had failed TO put
out, and the poor little cottage had only
escaped one element to be Immediately
threatened by another. They silently ran
the boat on land, and the men drew back
softly, with grave faces that the mother
and children might 20 first. The little
girls ellnging to her skirts, she plunged
knee deep through sand and opened the
door.


There was fire, made of chair backs
and rounds, on the hearth, and kettle OF
coffee swinging over it hung 10 some mys-
terious manner from the poker; the clock
IN which the key OF the tea chest had been
hidden, lay broke on the floor; and in
chair, tipped back against the wall, on &C
count OF the slanting position Of the house,
wlth hall OF mince pie in one hand and
hall OF the pumkin in the other, sat Griz-
Iy Bear.


HALO mother. Merry Christmas
morning! he shouted. "Did YOU ever
hear OF such lark as this ?"-Madqe
Eittoa in Baidwtn's Momhiy