e ort to have on bells!"
But Pa yell back an' laugh an' say
"I 'spect when _Santy_ come this way
It's time enough fer sleighbells nen!"
An' holler back "Good-by!" again,
An' reach out with the driver's whip
An' cut behind an' drive back Trip.

An' so all day it snowed an' snowed!
An' Lee-Bob he ist watched the road,

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

In his high-chair; an' Etty she
U'd play with Uncle Sid an' me--
Like she wuz he'ppin' fetch in wood
An' keepin' old fire goin' good,

Where Ma she wuz a-cookin' there
An' kitchen, too, an' ever'where!
An' Uncle say, "'At's ist the way
Yer Ma's b'en workin', night an' day,
Sence she hain't big as Etty is
Er Lee-Bob in that chair o' his!"
Nen Ma she'd laugh 't what Uncle said,
An' smack an' smoove his old bald head
An' say "Clear out the way till I
Can keep that pot from b'ilin' dry!"
Nen Uncle, when she's gone back to
The kitchen, says, "We _ust_ to do

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Some cookin' in the _ashes_.--_Say_,
S'posin' we try some, thataway!"
An' nen he send us to tell Ma
Send two big 'taters in he saw

Pa's b'en a-keepin' 'cause they got
The premiun at the Fair. An' what
You think?--He rake a grea'-big hole
In the hot ashes, an' he roll
Them old big 'taters in the place
An' rake the coals back--an' his face
Ist swettin' so's he purt'-nigh swear
'Cause it's so hot! An' when they're there
'Bout time 'at we fergit 'em, he
Ist rake 'em out again--an' _gee_!--
He bu'st 'em with his fist wite on
A' old stove-led, while Etty's gone

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

To git the salt, an' butter, too--
Ist like he said she haf to do,
No matter what _Ma_ say! An' so
He salt an' butter 'em, an' blow

'Em cool enough fer us to eat--
An' _me_-o-_my_! they're hard to beat!
An' Trip 'ud ist lay there an' pant
Like he'd laugh _out loud_, but he can't.
Nen Uncle fill his pipe--an' we
'Ud he'p him light it--Sis an' me,--
But mostly little Lee-Bob, 'cause
"He's the best _Lighter_ ever wuz!"
Like Uncle telled him wunst when Lee-
Bob cried an' jerked the light from me,
He wuz so mad! So Uncle pat
An' pet him. (Lee-Bob's ust to that--

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

'Cause he's the _little_-est, you know,
An' allus has b'en humored so!)
Nen Uncle gits the flat-arn out,
An', while he's tellin' us all 'bout

Old Chris'mu