yellow sleigh was at the door, the bread was in the oven, and Mrs.
Bassett was waiting, with her camlet cloak on, and the baby done up like
a small bale of blankets.

"Now, Eph, you must look after the cattle like a man, and keep up the
fires, for there's a storm brewin', and neither the children nor dumb
critters must suffer," said Mr. Bassett, as he turned up the collar of
his rough coat and put on his blue mittens, while the old mare shook her
bells as if she preferred a trip to Keene to hauling wood all day.

"Tilly, put extry comfortables on the beds to-night, the wind is so
searchin' up chamber. Have the baked beans and Injun-puddin' for dinner,
and whatever you do, don't let the boys git at the mince-pies, or you'll
have them down sick. I shall come back the minute I can leave Mother. Pa
will come to-morrer, anyway, so keep snug and be good. I depend on you,
my darter; use your jedgment, and don't let nothin' happen while
Mother's away."

"Yes'm, yes'm--good-bye, good-bye!" called the children, as Mrs. Bassett
was packed into the sleigh and driven away, leaving a stream of
directions behind her.

Eph, the sixteen-year-old boy, immediately put on his biggest boots,
assumed a sober, responsible manner, and surveyed his little
responsibilities with a paternal air, drolly like his father's. Tilly
tied on her mother's bunch of keys, rolled up the sleeves of her
homespun gown, and began to order about the younger girls. They soon
forgot poor Granny, and found it great fun to keep house all alone, for
Mother seldom left home, but ruled her family in the good old-fashioned
way. There were no servants, for the little daughters were Mrs.
Bassett's only maids, and the stout boys helped their father, all
working happily together with no wages but love; learning in the best
manner the use of the heads and hands with which they were to make their
own way in the world.

The few flakes that caused the farmer to predict bad weather soon
increased to a regular snow-storm, with gusts of wind, for up among the
hills winter came early and lingered long. But the children were busy,
gay, and warm in-doors, and never minded the rising gale nor the
whirling white storm outside.

Tilly got them a good dinner, and when it was over the two elder girls
went to their spinning, for in the kitchen stood the big and little
wheels, and baskets of wool-rolls, ready to be twisted into yarn for the
winter's knitting, and each day brought its