Mrs. Ford had three little children, Lily, Hetty, and a dear little
babe. As she was now going to market, she told Lily, her oldest
daughter, to take good care of the baby. Lily promised to do so. It was
a very cold day. For a time the children got along very well; but soon
the wood was all burned, not a stick or chip remained; as their father
had gone away in the morning without splitting any, so they were obliged
to do the best they could. The baby began to look as if it was cold, and
Lily said:

"Come, Hetty, we will go out and see if together we cannot roll in one
of those great logs."

Hetty was eleven years old. Lily put the baby in the cradle and then
went out with Hetty to roll in the log. They rolled it up to the step,
and got it part way into the door, but, alas! they could not get it
further. There it stuck in the doorway, and the door was wide open; the
wind and snow beat in from without, and the fire gradually settled away
in its embers.

Something must now be done. Hetty put on her cloak and hood and set out
for her mother; for she told them if anything happened to be sure and
come for her. Hetty soon found her mother at the village store, and
without stopping to warm herself, she said:

"O mother, come home, for little Eddy is sick, and Lily says it is the
croup, and that he is dying. The fire is all out, and the room is full
of snow, because the big log we tried to roll in stuck fast in the
doorway."