there is no one to cook for. So, when the men left, a few days later, I
took Jerrine and rode over to the Louderer ranch. I had never seen Mrs.
Louderer and it happened to be "Benny's day" that I blundered in upon.
I found her to be a dear old German woman living all alone, the people
who do the work on the ranch living in another house two miles away.
She had been weeping for hours when I got there, but in accordance with
her custom on the many anniversaries, she had a real feast prepared,
although no one had been bidden.

She says that God always sends her guests, but that was the first time
she had had a little girl. She had a little daughter once herself,
little Gretchen, but all that was left was a sweet memory and a
pitifully small mound on the ranch, quite near the house, where Benny
and Gretchen are at rest beside "der fader, Herr Louderer."

She is such a dear old lady! She made us so welcome and she is so
entertaining. All the remainder of the day we listened to stories of
her children, looked at her pictures, and Jerrine had a lovely time
with a wonderful wooden doll that they had brought with them from
Germany. Mrs. Louderer forgot to weep in recalling her childhood days
and showing us her treasures. And then our feast,--for it was verily a
feast. We had goose and it was _so_ delicious. I couldn't tell you half
the good things any more than I could have eaten some of all of them.

We sat talking until far into the night, and she asked me how I was
going to spend Christmas. I told her, "Probably in being homesick." She
said that would never do and suggested that we spend it together. She
said it was one of their special days and that the only happiness left
her was in making some one else happy; so she had thought of cooking
some nice things and going to as many sheep camps as she could, taking