e that on several occasions two beautiful carioles, with lovely
white young ladies cozily wrapped up in costly furs, and driven by
handsome young gentlemen, had been met with, fairly flying over the
great icy routes, while the air was full of happy laughter that sounded
very much in unison with the music of the little silver bells that hung
on the collars of the splendid dogs. And furthermore, it was well known
that among the skating parties Frank and Alec were generally found
skating with these same two young ladies. Their explanations were that
their skates seemed to glide more in unison with each other, and in fact
that there was a sort of affinity between them. Then their joy was
complete when Mrs Ross invited the whole family from the mission to
come early and spend the day with them at Sagasta-weekee. It was
remarked that these two young gentlemen generally had word that the
devoted missionary had been using his dogs very much lately on his long
trips among the distant bands of Indians, and it would be a capital idea
for some of them to drive over with their fresh trains and bring back
some of the family. This happy suggestion was of course carried out,
but it was observed that the carioles of the aforesaid young gentlemen,
when they returned, only had in each of them a sweet-faced, beautiful
young lady, and they said that the trip had been "perfectly lovely!"

What happy days those were! To Frank and Alec had come their first
young love-dreams, and they were pure and sweet and stimulating. Cynics
and crusty, disappointed old bachelors might make fun of these youthful
lovers and make some sarcastic remarks; still, after all, where is the
noble, healthy, splendid young man of fifteen or sixteen that has not
safely passed through these same ordeals, and, as a general thing,
survived? So let Frank and Alec have these daydreams and thus enjoy
themselves. They will be none the worse, but rather the better, when
the ordeal is over, as it is with those who safely get through with a
lingering attack of the measles or scarlet fever.

One day Mr Ross sent old Mustagan out into the woods to select a place
where the next year's supply of wood could be obtained. His
instructions were to find a dense forest of tall, symmetrical trees from
which a trail or road could be easily made to Sagasta-weekee. Then
choppers would be sent in, and some acres of this forest would be cut
down and there left to dry for twelve months