Mrs. Barnes soon recovered,
and while Willie dished up the smoking dinner, stories were told on
both sides.
Mr. Barnes had been trying to get through the snow and to find them all
the time, but until the last night had made a stiff crust he had been
unable to do so. Then Mrs. Barnes told her story, winding up with the
account of Willie's Christmas dinner. "And if it hadn't been for his
keeping up our hearts I don't know what would have become of us," she
said at last.
"Well, my son," said papa, "you did take care of mamma, and get up a
dinner out of nothing, sure enough; and now we'll eat the dinner, which
I am sure is delicious."
So it proved to be; even the cake, or pudding, which Tot christened
snow pudding, was voted very nice, and the hickory nuts as good as
raisins. When they had finished, Mr. Barnes brought in his packages,
gave Tot and the rest some "sure-enough waisins," and added his
Christmas presents to Willie's; but though all were overjoyed, nothing
was quite so nice in their eyes as the two live birds.
After dinner the two men and Willie dug out passages from the doors,
through the snow, which had wasted a good deal, uncovered the windows,
and made a slanting way to his shed for old Tim. Then for two or three
days Willie made tunnels and little rooms under the snow, and for two
weeks, while the snow lasted, Nora and Tot had fine times in the little
snow playhouses.
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