ook came over the face of Uncle Eb. Tip's words were
meaningless save for the secret aspiration they served to advertise. My
old companion thought Tip had gone crary, and immediately swung the door
and stepped in. The orator fell suddenly from his lofry altitude and
became a very sober looking hired man.

'What's the matter?' Uncle Eb enquired.

'Practicin',' said Tip soberly, as he turned slowly, his face damp and
red with exertion.

'Fer what?' Uncle Eb enquired.

'Fer the 'sylum, I guess,' he answered, with a faint smile.

'Ye don' need no more practice,' Uncle Eb answered. 'Looks t' me as
though ye was purty well prepared.'

To me there was a touch of pathos in this show of the deeper things in
Tip's nature that had been kindled to eruption by my spouting. He would
not come in to dinner that day, probably from an unfounded fear that we
would make fun of his flight--a thing we should have been far from doing
once we understood him.

It was a bitter day of one of the coldest winters we had ever known. A
shrieking wind came over the hills, driving a scud of snow before it
The stock in the stables, we all came in, soon after dinner, and sat
comfortably by the fire with cider, checkers and old sledge. The dismal
roar of the trees and the wind-wail in the chimney served only to
increase our pleasure. It was growing dusk when mother, peering
through the sheath of frost on a window pane, uttered an exclamation of
surprise.

'Why! who is this at the door?' said she. 'Why! It's a man in a cutter.'
Father was near the door and he swung it open quickly. There stood a
horse and cutter, a man sitting in it, heavily muffled. The horse was
shivering and the man sat motionless.

'Hello!' said David Brower in a loud voice.

He got no answer and ran bareheaded to the sleigh.

'Come, quick, Holden,' he called, 'it's Doctor Bigsby.'

We all ran out then, while David lifted the still figure in his arms.

'In here, quick!' said Elizabeth, opening the door to the parlour.
'Musn't take 'im near the stove.'

We carried him into the cold room and laid him down, and David and I
tore his wraps open while the others ran quickly after snow.

I rubbed it vigorously upon his face and ears, the others meantime
applying it to his feet and arms, that had been quickly stripped. The
doctor stared at us curiously and tried to speak.

'Get ap, Dobbin!' he called presently, and ducked as if urging his
horse. 'Get ap, Dobbin! Man'll die