is a table-cover that you gave me.  Against the wall near my bed is my “dresser.”  It is a box with shelves and is covered with the same material as my screen.  Above it I have a mirror, but it makes ugly faces at me every time I look into it.  Upon the wall near by is a match-holder that you gave me.  It is the heads of two fisher-folk.  The man has lost his nose, but the old lady still thrusts out her tongue.  The material on my screen and “dresser” I bought for curtains, then decided to use some white crossbar I had.  But I wish I had not, for every time I look at them I think of poor little Mary Ann Parker.

I am going to make you a cup of tea and wonder if you will see anything familiar about the teapot.  You should, I think, for it is another of your many gifts to me.  Now I feel that you have a fairly good idea of what my house looks like, on the inside anyway.  The magazines and Jerrine’s cards and Mother Goose book came long ago, and Jerrine and I were both made happy.  I wish I could do nice things for you, but all I can do is to love you.

  Your sincere friend,
    ELINORE RUPERT.

XV

THE “STOCKING-LEG” DINNER

     February, 1912.

DEAR MRS. CONEY,—­

...  This time I want to tell you about a “stocking-leg” dinner which I attended not long ago.  It doesn’t sound very respectable, but it was one of the happiest events I ever remember.

Mrs. Louderer was here visiting us, and one afternoon we were all in the kitchen when Gavotte came skimming along on the first pair of snowshoes I ever saw.  We have had lots of snow this winter, and many of the hollows and gullies are packed full.  Gavotte had no difficulty in coming, and he had come for the mail and to invite us to a feast of “ze hose.”  I could not think what kind of a dinner it could be, and I did not believe that Mr. Stewart would go, but after Gavotte had explained how much easier it was now than at any other time because the hard-packed snow made it possible to go with bobsleds, I knew he would go.  I can’t say I really wanted to go, but Mrs. Louderer took it for granted that it would be delightful, so she and Mr. Stewart did the planning.  Next morning Gavotte met Mrs. O’Shaughnessy and invited her.  Then, taking the mail, he went on ahead to blaze a trail we should follow with the sleds.  We were to start two days later.  They planned we could easily make the trip in a day, as, with the gulches filled with snow, short cuts were possible, and we could travel at a good pace, as we would have a strong team.  To me it seemed dangerous, but dinner-parties have not been so plenty that I could miss one.  So, when the day came on which we were to start, we were up betimes and had a mess-box packed and Mr. Stewart had a big pile of rocks hot.  We all wore our warmest clothes, and the rest carried out hot rocks and blankets while I put the kitchen in such order that the men left to feed the stock would have no trouble in getting their meals.  Mr. Stewart carried out the mess-box, and presently we were off.  We had a wagon-box on bobsleds, and the box was filled with hay and hot rocks with blankets on top and more to cover us.  Mr. Stewart had two big bags of grain in front, feed for the horses, and he sat on them.