of absorbed curiosity examined the mischievous teeth, the long ears, the
queer little feet that never get cold, and the places where the lead had
entered with the sharp deadly shock that had driven out into the chill
night the nameless something which had been the little creature's life.
Amy, too, stroked the fur with a pity on her face which made it very
sweet to Webb, while tender-hearted Johnnie was exceedingly remorseful,
and wished to know whether "the bunnies, if put by the fire, would not
come to life before morning." Indeed, there was a general chorus of
commiseration, which Burt brought to a prosaic conclusion by saying:
"Crocodile tears, every one. You'll all enjoy the pot-pie to-morrow with
great gusto. By the way, I'll prop up one of these little fellows at the
foot of Ned's crib, and in the morning he'll think that the original
'Br'er Rabbit' has hopped out of Uncle Remus's stories to make him a
Christmas visit."




CHAPTER V

CHRISTMAS EVE AND MORNING


Old Mrs. Clifford now created a diversion by asking: "How about our
plants to-night, Maggie? Ought we not to take some precautions? Once
before when it was as cold as this we lost some, you know"

"Leonard," said his wife, in response to the suggestion, "it will be
safer for you to put a tub of water in the flower-room; that will draw
the frost from the plants. Mother is the queen of the flowers in this