ou love me?' My grandmother always kept a supply of
hoarhound and peppermint lozenges in her knitting basket to give us
children should we complain of hoarseness. My, but 'twas astonishing
to hear us all cough until grandmother's supply of mints was
exhausted. I think. Mary, I must have had a 'sweet tooth' when a
child, as my recollections seem to be principally about the candy kept
in my grandfather's store. I suppose in those early days of my
childhood candy appealed to me more than anything else, as never
having had a surfeit of sweets, candy to me was a rare treat. I
remember, Mary, when a little child, my thrifty mother, wishing to
encourage me to learn to knit my own stockings, she, when winding the
skein of German yarn into a ball, occasionally wound a penny in with
the yarn. I was allowed to spend the penny only after I had knitted
the yarn and the penny had fallen from the ball. What untold wealth
that penny represented! And planning how to spend it was greater
pleasure still. Many a pair of long old-fashioned, dark blue and
red-striped stockings, were finished more quickly than otherwise would
have been done without the promised reward. I became proficient in
knitting at an early age," continued Aunt Sarah; "a truly feminine
occupation, and as I one time heard a wise old physician remark,
'Soothing to the nerves,' which I know to be true, having knitted many
a worry into the heel of a sock. I learned at an early age the value
of money, and once having acquired the saving habit, it is not
possible to be wasteful in later life."

CHAPTER XXV.

AN ELBADRITCHEL HUNT.

Fritz Schmidt, like many another Bucks County boy, had frequently
heard the rural tale of a mythical bird called the "Elbadritchel,"
supposed to be abroad, particularly on cold, dark, stormy nights, when
the wind whistled and blew perfect gales around exposed corners of
houses and barns. 'Twas a common saying among "Pennsylvania Germans,"
at such times, "'Tis a fine night to catch 'Elbadritchels.'"

[Illustration: CATCHING ELBADRITCHELS]

For the information of those who may not even have heard of this
remarkable creature, it is described as being a cross between a
swallow, a goose and a lyre bird. Have you ever seen an
"Elbadritchel?" No one has to my certain knowledge, so I cannot vouch
for the truth of this description of it.

Fritz Schmidt had never taught to question the truth of the tale. So,
when one cold, stormy night several