ran the cook. Then, just
as she might have stirred a cake with the big spoon, she began digging
in the snow. It was almost as good as a shovel.

In a little while Freddie's head was uncovered, and then it was easy to
get him out. He wasn't hurt a bit, only a little scared, and he laughed
when Dinah and Flossie brushed the snow off him.

"But you can't brush out what's down my neck, inside my coat," he said,
squirming about. "It's cold, and it tickles."

"Snow down inside your clo'hes!" exclaimed Dinah. "Den yo' got t' come
right in de house an' hab it tucken out. You'll ketch cold ef yo'
don't."

"Maybe you could get it out if you stood me on my head and wiggled me,"
Freddie said, after thinking about it. "Could you try that, Dinah?"

"Try what, honey lamb?"

"Take hold of my feet, you and Flossie, and stand me on my head. Then
the snow will run down from under my coat and I won't have to go in and
undress. I don't want to do that. I want to build the snow house up
again."

Dinah laughed.

"Ho! ho!" she said. "I'm not gwine t' do such t'ing as dat! No, sah! Yo'
come, in de house an' git dry t'ings on," and with that she caught
Freddie up under one arm and marched him into the house, where he soon
changed into dry clothes.

"Now you can go out to play again," his mother said, "but don't go in
any snow houses unless you are sure the roof is thick enough to keep
from falling in on you. The sun is so warm now, I don't believe it will
be safe to make snow houses. Play at something else."

"All right, Mother, we will," promised Flossie and Freddie.

They took the cookies which Flossie had forgotten about in the
excitement and, after eating them, the two children made another snow
man; for the first one, and his "little boy" as they called him, had
melted into mere lumps.

For about a week the weather was warm, and most of the first snow
melted. Then came another storm, which covered the ground deep with
white flakes, and once more the coasting hill was lively with the
shouting, laughing and merry boys and girls.

Flossie and Freddie, as well as Nan and Bert, spent as much time on the
coasting hill as their mother would let them. After school every day
they were out with their sleds, and on Saturday they were only home for
their meals.

Bert and Charley Mason had made a bob-sled, by fastening two sleds
together with a long plank. This they covered with a piece of carpet. On
this eight or nine boys or girls