ll all was blue once more, and the
stars had it all their own way, throbbing with fierce, cold light.

It was a great winter for Joey and Georgie! They never thought of its
being too cold, for every morning their toes were toasted over the
fire before schooltime, as if they had been muffins, and they were
sent off nice and hot, with a baked potato in each pocket, in case
their hands should be cold through the two pairs of thick mittens
which Aunt Peace had provided.

Then, when they came home, dinner was waiting, such a dinner as they
were not in the habit of having; a little mutton pie, or a smoking
Irish stew, with all the dumplings and gravy they wanted (and they
wanted a great deal), and then pancakes, tossed before their very
eyes, with a spoonful of jam in the middle of each, or blanc-mange
made in the shape of a cow, which tasted quite different from any
other blanc-mange that ever was. Also, they had the freedom of the
corn-popper, and might roast apples every evening till bedtime.
Doctor Brown shook his head occasionally, and told Anne Peace she
would unfit those children for anything else in life than eating good
things; but it was very likely that was jealousy, he added, for
certainly his medicines had never given the children these rosy cheeks
and sparkling eyes.

And when bedtime came, and the two little brown heads were nestled
down in the pillows of the big four-poster in the warm room, Anne
Peace would humbly give thanks that they had been well and happy
through another day, and then creep off to the cold, little room which
she had chosen this winter, "because it was more handy." Often, when
awakened in the middle of the night by the sharp, cracking frost
noises, which tell of intensest cold, she would creep in to feel of
the children, and make sure that they were as warm as two little
dormice, which they always were. I do not know how many times she took
a blanket or comforter off her own bed to add to their store; but I do
know that she would not let Jenny Miller go into her room to see. She
almost rejoiced in the excessive cold, saying to herself with
exultation, "Fifteen below! well, there! and I s'pose it's like summer
in Florida, this minute of time!" And then she fancied David sitting
under an orange-tree, fanning himself, and smiled, and went meekly to
work to break the ice in her water-butt.

Every week letters came from David Means to his children, telling them
of the beauty all around him