es, ma'am; but as soon as the snow is down, you'll be warmer."

"It is time to go to bed," observed Mr Campbell, "so put away your
work; and, Henry, give me down the bible."

During that night the gale increased to almost a hurricane; the trees of
the forest clashed and crackled, groaned and sawed their long arms
against each other, creating an unusual and almost appalling noise; the
wind howled round the palisades and fluttered the strips of bark on the
roof, and as they all lay in bed, they could not sleep from the noise
outside, and the increased feeling of cold. It was also the first trial
of this new house in severe weather, and some of the wakeful party were
anxiously watching the result. Towards the morning the storm abated,
and everything was again quiet. In consequence of the restless night
which they had passed they were not so early as usual. Emma and Mary,
when they came out of their room, found Martin and Alfred up and very
busy with shovels; and, to their astonishment, they perceived that the
snow was at least three feet deep on the ground, and in some places had
been drifted up higher than their heads.

"Why, Alfred!" cried Emma; "how shall we be able to go after the cows
this morning? This is, indeed, winter come on with little warning."

"It still snows," observed Mary; "not much, indeed, but the sky is very
black."

"Yes, miss, we shall have some more of it yet," observed Martin. "Mr
Campbell and Mr Henry have gone to the store-house for more shovels,
for we must work hard, and clear a footpath, and then get the snow up
against the palisades."

"What a sudden change," said Emma; "I wish the sky would clear, and then
I should not care."

"It will to-morrow, Miss Emma, I dare say; but the snow must come down
first."

Martin and Alfred had only time to clear a path to the store-house. Mr
Campbell and Henry returned with more shovels, and as soon as breakfast
was over, they commenced work. As for Mary and Emma going to milk the
cows, that was impossible. Martin undertook that task until they had
cleared a pathway to the hunter's lodge, in which the animals were shut
up every night.

By the advice of Martin, the snow next the palisades was piled up
against the palings like a wall, as high as they could reach or throw
it, by which means they got rid of the snow about the house, and at the
same time formed a barrier against the freezing winds which they had to
expect. All worked hard; Per