44 



IN WINTER. 



had the sound of his voice died away than neigh- 

 bor C was announced ; and neighbors D and E 

 followed in his wake. I lingered to hear the re- 

 sult, but did not dare show myself. My face 

 was very red, for poor sedate grandfather was 

 stuttering ! " Really, truly ; this is, treally, ruly " 

 I heard no more, but made a dash for the back 

 yard. Unlucky dash ! I collided with my portly 

 aunt, and both sprawled upon the entry floor. 

 The company came streaming from the parlor, 

 but what came of it I never learned. I was up 

 and away before the mystery was solved. A rest 

 on the far side of the barn finally restored me. 

 Joy and fear made it a merry and mad Christ- 

 mas both, but the point was gained. The mo- 

 notony of winter farm-life was broken very 

 much broken, in fact for now the tables were 

 turned, and voices were calling for me, some in 

 persuasive, some in authoritative, tones. At last 

 I responded ; and oh ! what relief, when the one 

 thing needed was to run down chickens. " How 

 many ? " I quietly asked, " a dozen ? " It was 

 an unfortunate question. A glitter, full of mean- 

 ing, flashed in the eyes of my portly aunt. She 

 held me responsible for the day's excitement and 

 extra labor, and I knew it ; but I grinned when- 

 ever I caught glimpses of the gathered neigh- 

 bors, who could not cease to wonder over the 

 strange coincidence. 



