ow-balls began to fly thick and fast, and
every few moments, one and another would measure his full length in
some deep drift, which for a moment almost buried him from sight.
Tiger, who accompanied them, entered fully into the sport, and very
good-naturedly received his share of the snowballs and snow-baths. But
their exercise was too violent to be continued a great while. They
soon returned home, coated with snow from head to heel, and the cheeks
of the boys glowing with health and enjoyment.

"After you get rested, Oscar," said Mr. Preston, who was just leaving
for the store, "I want you to shovel a path in front of the house."

"What is the use?" inquired Oscar. "The storm is n't over yet, and if
I make a path, it will fill right up again."

"No it won't," replied his father. "I don't think it will storm much
longer; and the snow is so light, now, that you can shovel it easily,
but if you leave it till noon, it maybe trodden down hard. You need
not clean off the whole side-walk now; only make a comfortable
passage-way, and perhaps I will help you finish the job at night."

Oscar still thought it would be a waste of labor to shovel a path then,
and he did not evince any haste in obeying his father's order. After
loitering about the house a long time, he took the shovel, and worked
lazily at the path for awhile. Although he only undertook to cut a
narrow passage-way through the drift in front of the house, he worked
with so little spirit, that when the time came for him to get ready for
school, he had not half completed the task. He asked permission to
stay at home and finish his path, but his mother did not think this
necessary, and refused her consent. So he went to school, and in the
meantime the storm died away, and the clouds dispersed.

Towards noon the door-bell rang, and on Bridget going to answer it, a
little printed paper was handed to her, directing the occupant of the
house to have the snow removed from his sidewalk within a given number
of hours. After school, Oscar thought no more of his path, but went
off with Alfred Walton, and did not go home until dinner-time. He had
but little time now to shovel snow; but his father told him to be sure
and come home directly from school, in the afternoon, and not to play
or do anything else until the sidewalk was cleared off.

Oscar accordingly went home after school, and resumed his work. He
found that the snow was trodden into such a solid icy mas