d off the top of the chimney, which was
ornamented with a big round cushion of snow, and then by beating and
shovelling he was able to clear the door, which he opened wide, and Mrs.
Barnes came up on the ladder to look out. Dreary indeed was the scene!
Nothing but snow as far as the eye could reach, and flakes still
falling, though lightly.

The storm was evidently almost over, but the sky was gray and overcast.

They closed the door, went down, and soon had a fire, hoping that the
smoke would guide somebody to them.

Breakfast was taken by candle-light, dinner--in time--in the same way,
and supper passed with no sound from the outside world.

Many times Willie and mamma went to the scuttle door to see if any one
was in sight, but not a shadow broke the broad expanse of white over
which toward night the sun shone. Of course there were no signs of the
roads, for through so deep snow none could be broken, and until the
sun and frost should form a crust on top there was little hope of their
being reached.

The second morning broke, and Willie hurried up to his post of lookout
the first thing. No person was in sight, but he found a light crust on
the snow, and the first thing he noticed was a few half-starved birds
trying in vain to pick up something to eat. They looked weak and almost
exhausted, and a thought struck Willie.

It was hard to keep up the courage of the little household. Nora had
openly lamented that to-night was Christmas Eve, and no Christmas dinner
to be had. Tot had grown very tearful about her "waisins," and Mrs.
Barnes, though she tried to keep up heart, had become very pale and
silent.

Willie, though he felt unbounded faith in papa, and especially in Tim,
found it hard to suppress his own complaints when he remembered that
Christmas would probably be passed in the same dismal way, with fears
for papa added to their own misery.

The wood, too, was getting low, and mamma dared not let the fire go out,
as that was the only sign of their existence to anybody; and though she
did not speak of it, Willie knew, too, that they had not many candles,
and in two days at farthest they would be left in the dark.

The thought that struck Willie pleased him greatly, and he was sure it
would cheer up the rest. He made his plans, and went to work to carry
them out without saying anything about it.

He brought out of a corner of the attic an old boxtrap he had used in
the summer to catch birds and small anima