s the old brown house on New Year's morning, and one after
another, the sympathising neighbors offered their assistance at the
door of the bereaved, whose sunny face had often cheered their own
quiet homes.

But poor Little Wolf at the time knew nothing of their kind
intentions. After the first burst of grief, leaving all arrangements
which the occasion required to Dr. Goodrich, she shut herself in her
own room, and none dared intrude upon her night of sorrow, except
indeed Daddy, who was indefatigable in his attentions. The kind
hearted old man wrapped himself in blankets, and lay down near her
door, and, at intervals, during the hours of that cold January
morning, he crept in softly and replenished the fire, and, after
lingering a moment in the vain hope that she would notice and speak to
him, he would go away muttering pitifully to himself, "poor Pet, poor
Honey."

About daylight, worn out with anxiety and fatigue, he fell asleep, and
a few hours afterwas awakened by a hard thump on the head and
starting up, he saw Sorrel Top, just gathering herself up from a fall.

Who told you to lie down there like a dog, for folks to stumble over?"
said she angrily, I thought you were going to take care of Little
Wolf, and here I find you snoring away and she may be frozen to death,
for all you know."

"Tween you an'me," said Daddy looking rather mortified, "I'm afeared
that are fire has gin' out."

"Of course it has--there ain't a good fire in the hull house. It takes
Mrs. Hawley all the time to tend the door and tell the folks we don't
want their help, and when the funeral will be;--I tell ye, we ain't
hardly had a mite of rest since the doctor was brought home."

"Tell Miss Hawley I'll be down there in five minutes," said Daddy
decidedly.

"It don't make much difference whether he's here or not," said Mrs.
Hawley, when Sorrel Top had delivered his message.

"O he'll be handy to talk," replied Sorrel Top with a grim smile.

"Tween you an' me, it ain't no time fur to be jokin," said Daddy, who
had come in time to catch a few words, and had a suspicion of what was
passing between the women, "I guess," he continued "if you could see
how broke down the Honey is, you'd begin to think it was a serious
matter."

"We do already think it a very serious matter, Daddy," said Mrs.
Hawley with great feeling, and I wish Miss DeWolf would let me do
something for her."

"Taint no use saying a word to her, I don't open my head wh