CHRISTMAS was ing.
The little log house was almost buried in snow. Great drifts were banked against the walls and windows, and in the m when Pa opehe door, there was a wall of snow as high as Lauras head. Pa took the shovel and shoveled it away, and then he shoveled a path to the barn, where the horses and the cows were snug and warm in their stalls.
The days were clear and bright. Laura and Mary stood on chairs by the window and looked out across the glittering snow at the glittering trees. Snoiled all along their bare, dark branches, and it sparkled in the sunshine. Icicles hung from the eaves of the house to the snowbanks, great Icicles as large at the top as Lauras arm. They were like glass and full of sharp lights.
Pas breath hung in the air like smoke, when he came along the path from the barn. He breathed it out in clouds and it froze in white frost on his mustache and beard.
When he came in, stamping the snow from his boots, and caught Laura up in a bears hug against his cold, big coat, his mustache was beaded with little drops of melting frost.
Every night he was busy, w on a large piece of board and two small pieces. He whittled them with his knife, he rubbed them with sand paper and with the palm of his hand, until when Laura touched them they felt soft and smooth as silk.
Then with his sharp jaife he worked at them, cutting the edges of the large oo little peaks and towers, with a large star carved on the very tallest point. He cut little holes through the wood. He cut the holes in shapes of windows, and little stars, and crest moons, and circles. All around them he carved tiny leaves, and flowers, and birds.
One of the little boards he shaped in a lovely curve, and around its edges he carved leaves and flowers and stars, and through it he cut crest moons and curlicues.
Around the edges of the smallest board he carved a tiny fl vine.
He made the ti shavings, cutting very slowly and carefully, making whatever he thought would be pretty.
At last he had the pieces finished and one night he fitted them together. When this was dohe large piece was a beautifully carved back for a smooth little shelf across its middle. The large star was at the very top of it. The curved piece supported the shelf underh, and it was carved beautifully, too. And the little vine ran around the edge of the shelf.
Pa had made this bracket for a Christmas present for Ma. He hung it carefully against the log wall between the windows, and Ma stood her little a woman on the shelf.
The little a woman had a a bo on her head, and a curls hung against her a neck. Her a dress was laced across in front, and she wore a pale pink a apron and little gilt a shoes. She was beautiful, standing on the shelf with flowers and leaves and birds and moons carved all around her, and the large star at the very top.
Ma was busy all day long, cooking good things for Christmas. She baked salt-rising bread and ryenlnjun bread, and Swedish crackers, and a huge pan of baked beans, with salt pork and molasses. She baked vinegar pies and dried-apple pies, and filled a big jar with cookies, and she let Laura and Mary lick the cake spoon.
One m she boiled molasses and sugar together until they made a thick syrup, and Pa brought in two pans of , white snow from outdoors. Laura and Mary each had a
pan, and Pa and Ma showed them how to pour the dark syrup in little streams on to the snow.
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