s to sound. In the meantime, the
children were sitting around the fire, waiting impatiently for the
signal, to call them to the palace of snow.

"Cousin Emily," said Agnes, for she too said "Cousin Emily," though
there was no relationship, in fact, between them, "Cousin Emily, I wish
I knew _what_ to read and study. I do want to know something, and I
don't know anything but my Bible, and my little book of hymns. Mammy
taught me to read, or I should'nt have known anything at all," she added
sadly.

"Well, Agnes," that is the best knowledge you could possibly have, said
Emily, "though I am far from thinking other studies unimportant; but, if
I can help you in any way, I will gladly lend you books, and tell you
how to study."

"Oh! will you, cousin Emily?" said Agnes, her face brightening; "how
happy I shall be! aunty has taught Effie and Grace, and they have
studied Geography and History, and they can cipher, and I don't know
anything at all about those things; why, even little Harry knows more
than I do."

"But you can beat us all in Bible knowledge, I know, Agnes," said Emily,
"and, in a very little time, you will catch up to the other children,
for aunty has little leisure time to devote to them. But there! I hear
the horn! call Kitty, to bring the baby, and we'll all start."

And now all warmly wrapped in cloaks and hoods, the little party left
the side piazza, and walked down towards the pond. The path was well
broken, as the boys travelled it so often, on their way to the pond and
the snow palace, and the little party went briskly on. Emily and Agnes
headed the procession, then came Effie and Grace, dragging a box-sled in
which the baby was comfortably stowed, and Kitty, the nurse, brought up
the rear, leading little Harry. The two boys met them at some distance
from the snow palace, and told them they must go through the labyrinth
before they could reach the place of entertainment.

The labyrinth was composed of paths, cut in the deep snow, winding in
and out, and circling about in all directions, till, at length, the
foremost of the party halted before the entrance to the snow palace. The
boys had, indeed, been industrious, and the new comers stared in
amazement, at the results of their labor. They found themselves, on
entering the palace, in a room high enough for the tallest of the party
to stand upright in, and of dimensions large enough to seat them all
comfortably around the square block of snow which