elighted, one winter morning, to hear that he could
go to his grandpapa's with his mother, for a few days. He had often been
there in summer, when the grass was green, and flowers were blooming
around the old homestead; but this was his first _winter_ visit.

A pleasant ride of forty miles by the railway, then a short ride in an
old-fashioned stage-sleigh, and the sober old horses, with their
jingling bells, stopped before grandpa's pleasant home.

Harry ran up to the door, shouting, "We've come, grandpa! We've come!"
The door opened; the little fellow rushed into his grandpa's arms; and
golden curls and thin gray locks were mingled for an instant. Then the
young arms were thrown around dear Aunt Susie; and such a welcome was
given as little boys love to have.

Harry then trotted off to the kitchen to find his friend Patty, the
cook. In a few minutes he came running back, exclaiming, "O mamma! do
come and see what a big _pop-corner_ Patty has in the kitchen."

"Corn-popper, I suppose you mean," said his mamma, laughing, as she and
Aunt Susie followed him to the kitchen. There, hanging behind the stove,
was a large brass pan, as bright as gold: it had a cover full of holes,
and a long handle. This was what Harry took for a corn-popper.

"Oh! that is a warming-pan," said his mother. "A what kind of a pan?"
said Harry with great surprise. "What _do_ you mean, mamma?"

"Well, Harry, if you can be quiet a minute, I will tell you. When your
Aunt Susie and I were little girls, and your uncles little boys,
grandpapa's house was not warmed all over, as it is now. Furnaces were
not used in those days; and the bed-rooms up stairs were very cold.

"So, on the coldest nights of winter, grandma would have this pan filled
with hot coals, and the beds all nicely warmed. Sometimes the boys would
have great frolics; for dear grandmamma would have their bed so very
warm, that, as soon as they had jumped in, _out_ they would come, saying
they were burned.

"But they would spring back again, and cuddle down, and laugh, and tell
stories, and sing, until grandpapa would have to come to the foot of the
stairs, and call out, 'Boys, boys, I must have less noise!'"

"Well," said Harry after hearing this story, "I should like to try it,
and see how my little uncles felt so long ago. Will you warm my bed
to-night, Patty?"--"Oh, yes! indeed I will. Master Harry," said Patty.

[Illustration]

Harry wanted to go to bed earlier than usual th