come
up, Willie ran up to look out of the scuttle, as he had every hour of
daylight since they were buried. In a moment came a wild shout down the
ladder.

"They're coming! Hurrah for old Tim!"

Mamma rushed up and looked out, and saw--to be sure--old Tim slowly
coming along over the crust, drawing after him a wood sled on which were
two men.

"It's papa!" shouted Willie, waving his arms to attract their attention.

"Willie!" came back over the snow in tones of agony. "Is that you? Are
all well?"

"All well!" shouted Willie, "and just going to have our Christmas
dinner."

"Dinner?" echoed papa, who was now nearer. "Where is the house, then?"

"Oh, down here!" said Willie, "under the snow; but we're all right, only
we mustn't let the plum-pudding spoil."

Looking into the attic, Willie found that mamma had fainted away, and
this news brought to her aid papa and the other man, who proved to be a
good friend who had come to help.

Tim was tied to the chimney, whose thread of smoke had guided them home,
and all went down into the dark room. 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 littl