Various

“ At last Christmas Eve came, and grandma and grandpa were there, and the children hung up their stockings, and Bessie said that grandma and grandpa must be sure and hang up theirs too; then, after they had gone to bed, the smaller children whispered for a long time about Santa Claus and listened to hear his sleigh bells on the roof.
"I don't see how he can get down the chimney," whispered Bessie. "You know he's so fat in all his pictures." ”

“ Fly and Fairy were good friends, and they had a funny way of looking at each other that made the children laugh.
Then the baby that they all loved lived here. Her name was May, and she was Kate's sister. She was a sweet little thing, just beginning to walk and to talk. She could say "chicky" quite plainly, and she liked to toddle out and watch the little girls feed the chickens.
But I can't begin to tell you all the good times the children had that summer. They were happy all the time, and grandma said they were so good that it was really no trouble at all to have them there. ”

“ They saw a big dog lying near a chicken-coop, with the chickens running over him just as they pleased, and Philip called out again,"Be careful, you little fellows, or you might happen to run down his throat."
They got off their wheels and walked for a little while just for fun; and all at once, as they were passing a barn, Alma cried, "Look! Did you see that cat after the mouse?"
Philip said he didn't; but pretty soon Mrs Pussy came out.
"You didn't get it, did you?" said Alma. "Well, you're fat enough now; you don't need to catch mice." ”