blaze royally, and
go roaring up the chimney with a jolly sound. All were glad to gather
round the hearth, as the evenings grew longer, to play games, read, or
lay plans for the winter. But the favorite amusement was story-telling,
and Mr. and Mrs. Bhaer were expected to have a store of lively tales
always on hand. Their supply occasionally gave out, and then the boys
were thrown upon their own resources, which were not always successful.
Ghost-parties were the rage at one time; for the fun of the thing
consisted in putting out the lights, letting the fire die down, and then
sitting in the dark, and telling the most awful tales they could invent.
As this resulted in scares of all sorts among the boys, Tommy's walking
in his sleep on the shed roof, and a general state of nervousness in
the little ones, it was forbidden, and they fell back on more harmless
amusements.

One evening, when the small boys were snugly tucked in bed, and the
older lads were lounging about the school-room fire, trying to decide
what they should do, Demi suggested a new way of settling the question.

Seizing the hearth-brush, he marched up and down the room, saying, "Row,
row, row;" and when the boys, laughing and pushing, had got into line,
he said, "Now, I'll give you two minutes to think of a play." Franz was
writing, and Emil reading the Life of Lord Nelson, and neither joined
the party, but the others thought hard, and when the time was up were
ready to reply.

"Now, Tom!" and the poker softly rapped him on the head.

"Blind-man's Buff."

"Jack!"

"Commerce; a good round game, and have cents for the pool."

"Uncle forbids our playing for money. Dan, what do you want?"

"Let's have a battle between the Greeks and Romans."

"Stuffy?"

"Roast apples, pop corn, and crack nuts."

"Good! good!" cried several; and when the vote was taken, Stuffy's
proposal carried the day.

Some went to the cellar for apples, some to the garret for nuts, and
others looked up the popper and the corn.

"We had better ask the girls to come in, hadn't we?" said Demi, in a
sudden fit of politeness.

"Daisy pricks chestnuts beautifully," put in Nat, who wanted his little
friend to share the fun.

"Nan pops corn tip-top, we must have her," added Tommy.

"Bring in your sweethearts then, we don't mind," said Jack, who laughed
at the innocent regard the little people had for one another.

"You shan't call my sister a sweetheart; it is so silly!" cried