We sat in silence for a little while.
Aunt Deel broke it by singing in a low tone as she rocked: "My days are passing swiftly by And I--a pilgrim stranger-- Would not detain them as they fly, These days of toil and danger." Uncle Peabody rose and got a candle and lighted it at the hearth.
"Wal, Bart, we'll do the chores, an' then I warn ye that we're goin' to have some fun," he said as he got his lantern.

"There's goin' to be some Ol' Sledge played here this evenin' an' I wouldn't wonder if Kate could beat us all." I held the lantern while Uncle Peabody fed the sheep and the two cows and milked--a slight chore these winter days.
"There's nothing so cold on earth as a fork stale on a winter night," he remarked as he was pitching the hay.

"Wish I'd brought my mittens." "You and I are to go off to bed purty early," he said as we were going back to the house.

"Yer Aunt Deel wants to see Kate alone and git her to talk if she can." Kate played with us, smiling now and then at my uncle's merry ways and words, but never speaking.

It was poor fun, for the cards seemed to take her away from us into other scenes so that she had to be reminded of her turn to play.
"I dunno but she'll swing back into this world ag'in," said Uncle Peabody when we had gone up to our little room.