
          228.

* Did it wish to take shelter in our little hut?

so busy -- Mr. W. splitting wood and tending to the fire, and I
pushing the snow away from <s>on</s> in front of the house, to
get the hatchet and the cups that already it was 12 o'clock.
Mr. W. now thought it time to get water ready for coffee,
this was done by melting snow and took quite a time.
By the time coffee was prepared, bread toasted and our
dinner was eaten it was 2:30 P.M.  We, however, frequently
looked, out of doors, and admired the beautiful winter
scenery.  Every now & then the boughs of a branch on which was 
a heap  of fleecy snow would bend with the weight and down
would fall the white cloud, many times causing making other
branches to bend and unload their burdens.  How unfamiliar
everything looked before us!  It was the same yet how strange!
What attracted us most while at our house was the close approach
of a little bird.  It flew about <s>a</s> an up-rooted tree and seemed
to disappear in a hole under it only to reappear and fly to
another tree.  All the afternoon it was somewhere about.*
After dinner we dried our leggings and again fixed up our
feet.  By the time everything was put away and we were
ready to leave it was 4:30 P.M.  We now thought of going
        