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Granny’s Wonderful Chair.

been a forest, great roots of old trees were still to be found in it, loosened from the soil and laid bare by the winds and rains—one of these, a rough, gnarled log, lay hard by their door, the half of it above the snow, and Spare said to his brother—

“‘Shall we sit here cold on Christmas while the great root lies yonder? Let us chop it up for fire­ wood, the work will make us warm.’

“‘No,’ said Scrub; ‘it’s not right to chop wood on Christmas; besides, that root is too hard to be broken with any hatchet.’

“‘Hard or not we must have a fire,’ replied Spare. ‘Come, brother, help me in with it. Poor as we are, there is nobody in the village will have such a yule log as ours.’

“Scrub liked a little grandeur, and in hopes of having a fine yule log, both brothers strained and strove with all their might till, between pulling and pushing, the great old root was safe on the hearth, and beginning to crackle and blaze with the red embers. In high glee, the cobblers sat down to their beer and bacon. The door was shut, for there was nothing but cold moonlight and snow outside; but the hut, strewn with fir boughs, and ornamented with holly, looked cheerful as the ruddy blaze flared up and rejoiced their hearts.

“‘Long life and good fortune to ourselves,

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