soul. Nothing is ever wrong
with you, and Molly is as like you as two peas! But I must say, I wish
you wouldn't go to work to-day. I'll worry lest you get overcome or
frozen, or something."

"That so? Glad to hear it. Makes a man feel happy inside to know his
folks'll worry about him when he's in danger. But isn't it an odd fact
that a soft little thing like a snowflake can stop the traffic of a
whole city! Hello there, Molly! Got my coat and mittens ready? Well,
you don't look as if the storm had kept you awake much. Give the
father a kiss, lass, to sort of sweeten his breakfast. Are the Jays
awake? Hunt them up a spade or a shovel and set them digging their
neighbors out. And, Mary wife, if I were you I'd keep a pot of coffee
on the range all day. There's maybe a poor teamster or huckster
passing who'll be the better for a warm cup of drink, and the
coffee'll keep him from thinking of beer or whiskey."

"That might cost a good bit, all day so."

"Never mind; never mind. What they drink we'll go without. We're hale
and hearty folks, who'll thrive well enough on cold water, if need be.
Thank the Lord for all His mercies, say I."

"Well, breakfast is ready. I'll dish it up while you two have your own
morning talk," said the mother, patting Molly's sturdy shoulder as she
passed tableward. For the girl and her father were the closest of
friends, which isn't always the case between parent and child. But
Molly's day would have seemed imperfect without that few minutes' chat
with the cheery plumber at its beginning; and he managed always to
leave a bit of his wisdom or philosophy in the girl's thoughts.

The three brothers, Jim, Joe, and Jack, known in the household as
the "three Jays," came tumbling down the short flight of stairs from
the bedroom above to the little first-floor kitchen, which they
immediately seemed to fill with their noisy presence. They were so
nearly of one size that strangers often mistook one for another, and
they were all as ruddy and round as boys could be. Yet their noise was
happy noise and disturbed nobody; and they good-naturedly made room
for Sarah Jane, their "sister next youngest but the twins," as they
commonly mentioned her.

Those twins! My! but weren't they the pride of everybody's heart, with
their fair little faces, like a pair of dolls; and their round blue
eyes which were always watching out for mischief to be done. Their
names had been selected "right out of a story book" that