g; for I'm at it all the while, except when
we're playing ball or eating corn. They say they have sleighing here
earlier than we do, and more of it, and plenty of skating. Well, now,
don't say any thing to mother about the corn; but won't I eat when I get
home! Yours all the while,
DABNEY KINZER."

"Why, the poor fellow!" exclaimed Mrs. Kinzer. "It's enough to stop his
growth."

It was not many days after that, before Dabney received a couple of
boxes by express. The "marks" told where they came from; and he and the
other boys carried them right up stairs, in the face of a kind
suggestion from Mrs. Myers that "they might take them right out into the
kitchen, and open them there."

She had almost ceased from putting her wishes in any more dictatorial
form; but she and Almira wondered exceedingly what might be the contents
of those boxes.

Dab was only a minute or so in finding out what was in one of them.

"Boiled ham! A whole one! Out with it, Frank. All that brown
paper,--why, it's a pair of chickens, all ready to roast."

"Something more's down under those slats," said Ford, in a tone of great
excitement.

"Mince-pies! And they're not much mashed, either. It's wonderful how
they did pack them."

"Slats and shingles and paper," said Ford. "What can there be in that
other box?"

"Shall we eat first, or open it?"

"Open it! Open it! Maybe they've sent you some corn."

Opened it was, with a desperate display of energy.

"Ice!" said Frank Harley.

"Sawdust!" shouted Ford.

"Fish!" said Dabney. "Clams, oysters, crabs, lobsters."

Dick Lee had gazed in absolute silence up to that very moment; and all
he could say now was,--

"Ah-h-h! O-h-h-h! Jes' ain't dey fine!"

"Boys," said Dab, with a sort of loving look at the contents of that
box, "do you suppose we can eat those fellows?"

"Eat 'em!" exclaimed Ford. "Why, after they're cooked!"

"Well, I s'pose we can; but I feel more like shaking hands with 'em all
around, just now. They're old friends and neighbors of mine, you know."

"Yes; but I guess we'd better eat them."

"Cap'n Dab," said Dick, "dey jes' knock all de correck pronounciation
out ob me, dey does."

"Ford, Frank, I'll ask Mrs. Myers and Almira up here right away. Those
oysters and clams have got to be eaten this very evening."

They did not need twice asking; and there was a thoughtful expression on
the face of Mrs. Myers when she looked from one box in