“Thanks, Missy Ford, I’se so glad to see a little tea; it’s so long since I tasted any.  And a bit of bacon too!  Wal, now I will have a dinner!”

“Do not wait till dinner time, Judy; I want you to make a cup of tea now, and rouse yourself up, and try to recollect all that has passed and happened to you since your childhood, for I promised the children that I would tell them your history.”

“Yes, missy, I’ll try,” said Judy, taking her little cracked earthen teapot, and making her tea.

After it was made, and Judy was refreshed with a good breakfast, she began and told Mrs. Ford the history of her sorrows and troubles, which we will let Mrs. Ford tell to the children herself.  It was quite a long narrative.

CHAPTER IV.

Judy had just finished speaking when they were interrupted by the entrance of Harry, who had returned for his mother.  Judy followed them to the sleigh, for she said she “must cum out and see de chil’en, spite of her rheumatiz.”

“Auntie,” said little Cornelia, “have my little banty’s eggs hatched yet?” Cornelia had sent the little banty and her eggs to aunt Judy, that the chickens might be hatched under her care.

“Laws, yes, honey, I’ll go in and get ’em for you to see; but I think you had bettor not take them home yet, till they get bigger,” said Judy, going back into the house.  In a little while she appeared with a little covered basket in her hand.  She unwrapped the flannel from around the basket, and there lay six beautiful little white banties.

“O mamma! look at the little things!  Are they not little beauties?” said Cornelia, picking up one of them, and laying its soft feathery head to her cheeks.

“Yes, my dear; but you must give them back, and not keep Auntie waiting in the cold.”

Cornelia hesitated a little while, and then was giving it back reluctantly, when her mother gently said, “Cornelia!” and she instantly returned the basket to Judy.

After they were all seated in the sleigh, and Harry had touched the horse with the whip, they heard some one calling after them, and on looking behind there was poor old Judy carrying two hot bricks in her hand.

“Get out, Ally, and take them from her, and do not let her come so far in the snow.”

But while he was getting free from the entanglement of the buffalo skin, Judy had come up, and, handing them to Mrs. Ford, said: 

“Here, Missy, is these ar bricks.  I heated ’em for you, and forgot ’em till you was gone; take ’em honey; you’s got more than a mile to go, and I knows you will be cold.”

Mrs. Ford thanked her, but gently reproved her for exposing herself.  They watched her as she trudged back in the snow, and then waving their hands to her as she disappeared in the turn of the road, Harry touched the horse, and in a few minutes they seemed as if they were actually flying over the frozen surface.