e, between chokes, my "little
pet" raised the most roof-splitting yells. "Take it off! Take it off!
Paw he gits me pole-cat-grease!" All the boys jumped out of their beds
and came running. Jason fought me like a little tiger; but grabbing him
by the hair, I held the bag on with all my might. His yells increased.
"Oh, God, she's a-killing me! Oh, God, she's a-burning me up! Oh, God,
gimme pole-cat-grease, pole-cat-grease, po--_ole_-cat-grease!" It was an
awful moment; but I held my ground and the bag. In a few seconds, which
seemed ages, the cries and chokes lessened, the breathing became
quieter, the tense little frame relaxed, and danger was past.

Half an hour later, when, weak but safe, my angel child lay quiet on his
pillow, Philip, standing over him, remarked philosophically,

"Son, you'd a-waited a right smart spell for pole-cat-grease,--better to
lose a patch of your hide than die waiting for that!"

XVII

BLESSINGS AND HATINGS

_Thanksgiving Day, Bed-time._

All day my heart has been overflowing with thankfulness; and to-night
when I accompanied my sons to the beautiful Thanksgiving party at the
big house, where all the young folks from miles around were gathered,
and observed their handsome appearance in their Sunday suits and gay new
ties, and, still better, their ease of manner, and social graces, my
heart swelled with pride almost to bursting. I own to a weakness for
pretty looks and pretty ways; and with the exception of Philip, who
scorned to play any of the games in which girls had a part, my boys
quite satisfied me to-night.

Still later, when we came home and sat around our fire to talk it over,
I in my pink party dress, Nucky and Keats leaning against my shoulders,
Jason and Iry with their heads in my lap, the other eight gathered as
closely as possible about me, it seemed to me I had reached the point
where I could say "My cup runneth over". When was a lonely heart more
truly comforted, a forlorn creature snatched from greater desolation to
brighter cheer? "Yea, the sparrow hath found her a nest", "Thou has set
the desolate in families". Almost a miraculous thing it seems that I
should actually have the desire of my heart,--a houseful of children;
and, instead of the hideous loneliness I looked forward to a few months
ago, the delightful task of bringing up these twelve sons to manhood and
good citizenship. Indeed, I often ask myself, what other boys have such
gifts to bring to th