cmas was coming.

ttle log buried in sno drifts took t ao talls.

t. laura and mary stood on c across ttering sno ttering trees. sno sparkled in to t icicles as large at top as lauras arm. ts.

pas breat out in clouds and it froze in on ache and beard.

amping ts, and caug , actle drops of melting frost.

every nigled til and smooth as silk.

t tting to little peaks and toar carved on tallest point. little ttle stars, and crescent moons, and circles. all around tiny leaves, and flowers, and birds.

one of ttle boards s edges ars, and t crescent moons and curlicues.

around t board iny flowering vine.

iniest sting very sloty.

at last ted togetifully carved back for a smoottle ss middle. tar top of it. ted t ifully, too. and ttle vine ran around the shelf.

pa for a cmas present for ma. carefully against tood tle che shelf.

ttle c on , and stle gilt ciful, standing on tar at top.

ma mas. s-rising bread and ryenlnjun bread, and she cake spoon.

one moing sogetil t in tdoors. laura and mary each had a

pan, and pa and ma so pour ttle streams on to the snow.

t once and was saved for cmas day.

all t eliza and uncle peter and ter and alice and ella, o spend cmas.

tmas t, and t of to te. aunt eliza and uncle peter and t, all covered up, under blankets and robes and buffalo skins.

ts and mufflers and veils and s they looked like big, shapeless bundles.

tle and jack leaped in circles top. noo play h!

as soon as aunt eliza er and alice and ella and laura and mary began to run and s. at last aunt eliza told to be quiet. t;ill tell you s do. lets make pictures.”

alice said t go outdoors to do it, and ma t it oo cold for laura to play outdoors. but er all, for a little and mittens and t her go.

laura doors in ter and mary, making pictures. t his:

eacump, and t once, umps into t, deep sno on tried to get up spoiling t exactly like four little girls and a boy, arms and legs and all. tures.

t oo excited to sleep. but t sleep, or santa claus come. so tockings by t to bed-alice and ella and mary and laura all in one big bed on the floor.

peter rundle bed. aunt eliza and uncle peter o sleep in ttic floor for pa and ma. ts in from uncle peters sled, so there were enough covers for everybody.

pa and ma and aunt eliza and uncle peter sat by talking. and just as laura ing off to sleep, ser say:

“eliza lake city. you kno big dog of mine? “

laura once. so dogs. sill as a mouse, and looked at t flickering on tened to uncle peter.

“ell,“ uncle peter said, “early in tarted to to get a pail of er, and prince o to t eet and pulled.

“you kno go, and rong s get aill ore a piece out of .

“it ,“ aunt eliza said to ma.

“dear me! “ ma said.

“ore a big piece rig of t,“ aunt eliza said. “i me.”

“prince gro you? “ pa said.

“yes,“ said aunt eliza.

“so tarted on again to; uncle peter on. “but prince jumped into t tention to alking and scolding. kept on seetried to get past in front of scared her.”

“i s ; ma said.

“ o bite me, said aunt eliza. “i believe he would have.”

“i never ; said ma. “ on earth did you do?”

“i tued rigo t eliza answered.

“of course prince rangers,“ said uncle peter. “but o eliza and t perfectly safe to leave t understand it at all. “after s into t pacing around it and groime sarted to open t her and snarled.”

“; said ma.

“ts ,“ aunt eliza said. “i didnt knoo do. t up in t daring to go out. and er. i couldnt even get any snoo melt. every time i opened ted like ear me to pieces.”

“; pa asked.