Year: 1870

How strange it all seemed to little Wini
fred. One year ago, or, as she reckoned it,
o-- snow time and one flower time ago, she
y-l- living in Boston, and now she was in
Colorado. It was great change-this go.
ing from comfort and luxury to a place
where comfort was hard to find, and luxury
MOTTO Ge thought of; where they had log
hutinstcad Of house and pig in place OF
a poodle Bat. ON the whole she enjoyed
IT, Her father was better, and that was
what they came for, because the doctor had
said Colorado air would cure him. And
though mother often looked troubled, she
certainly never used to break forth into hap
rs Its Of song when father was sick in bed,
as ,nc dii now that he was able to help cut
town trees in the forest. Yes, on the whole,
N.nisrcd liked Colorado and 50 did her lit
Jg brother Nat; though, if you had told
him Boston was Just around the corner he
would have started to run there without
waiting to put on his cap.


Such little mite ola fellow Nat was,
and 50 full of sunshine. Only one thing
could trouble him and that was to be away
from mother even for half an hour


See these two children now trudging to
the little stream near by, quite resolved up
on having fine rocking in fathers canoe
I.s queer boat, made of bark, and sharp
al both ends was tied to a stake. Now that
the stream was swollen and flowing on so
fist, it was fine fun to sit, one in each end
and get bounced about as WinEilred
said.


You get in first, because you're the lit
test, said Winnie holding her dress tightly
away from the splashing water with one
hand, and pulling the boat close to the shore
with the other.


No you get in first, cause you'm a
girl, said Nat Il don't want no heIpin
IN going to take off my toos and tockies
drst, cause mammy said might"


Nat could say shoes and stockings quite
plainly when he chose, but everybody said
''toos and tockies" to him so he hooked
upon these words, and many other crooked
ones, as a sort of language Of Nat, which
ali the world would speak if ;bcy only knew
how


IN at Iast-both Of them-and n fine rock
IN they had. The bushes and trees threw
clgl shadows over the canoe, and the birds
sang aud the sky peeped down at them
through little openings overhead, and alto
ge-her, with the splashing water and the
birds aud pleasant murmur of insects, it
was almost Ike mothers rocking and sing
ms


Iliswas early in the morning Mother
vas very busy in the cabin, clearing away
tie breakfast dishes, sweeping the room,
making beds mixing bread, heating the
oven, and doing dozen other things. At
last She took plate of crumbs and scraps,
and went out to feed the chickens.


Winnie Nat y she called, as she step
pei out upon the rough door stone Come
iced the chickens ~ Then added, in sur
lrisel way to herself: why, where in
the world can those children be? They
must have stopped at the new clearing to
see their father


At dinner time she blew the big tin horn
that hung BY the door, and soon her hus
band came home, alone, hungry and tired


%, you little witches !" laughed tht
mother, without looking up from her tasi
OF bread cutting How could you stal
away so long from mamIra Tired Frank


Yes, very. But what do you mean
Where are the youngsters ?'


She looked up now, and instantly exclaim
ed IN frightened voice, as she ran out pas
her husband:


20, Frank I've not seen them for twt
or three hours l thought to be sure the.
We're with you. They surely wouldn't hav
stayed all this time in the boat ?''