ol morning, in the latter part of December, the coach called,
to take her to the railroad depot; and after a few kisses, and words of
affectionate advice, and lingering good-byes, she departed on her
homeward journey. Of those she left behind, next to her own daughter,
the saddest of the group was little Ella, who, for many days, missed
the pleasant face of her good old grandmother.

CHAPTER IX.

WINTER SPORTS.

It was now mid-winter, and a few inches of snow lay upon the frozen
ground, sufficient to make pretty fair sleighing for a few days, and to
afford good coasting for the boys on the hill-sides. The favorite
place for this amusement, among the boys in Oscar's neighborhood, was
the Common. Here they always found good, long, smooth coasting-places,
when there was any snow on the ground; and there was no danger of
tripping up foot passengers, or getting under the heels of the horses,
or being tapped on the shoulder by a policeman, which often happened to
boys who coasted down the steep streets of the city,--a practice, by
the way, prohibited by a city law.

Oscar had a handsome new sled, which was a new year's present from his
father. It was long and narrow, the two steel-shod runners projecting
forward far beyond the top or seat, and ending in sharp points. It was
painted light blue, and varnished. Upon the sides, in gilt letters,
was its name--CLIPPER; and upon its top it bore the initial of Oscar's
name, with an ornamental device. It had what a sailor would call a
decidedly rakish look, and was really a fast as well as a stylish
"team," to use the term by which Oscar usually spoke of it. It even
eclipsed George's small but elegant sled, which, the winter previous,
had been regarded as the _ne plus ultra_ of sled architecture.

Ralph's sled, by the side of these, presented a very cheap and
antiquated appearance, and it was seldom that he took it with him to
the Common. He often borrowed Oscar's, however, when it was not in use
for his elder brother, with all his faults, was not selfish boy, but
was willing to lend his property to others, when he was not using it
himself. One pleasant Wednesday afternoon, a portion of the week
always devoted to recreation by the Boston school children, Ralph
obtained leave to take the "Clipper" with him to the Common. George
also went with him with his sled. The coasting is very good, and some
hundreds of boys are enjoying it. Long lines of sleds, freighted