Patty had about a dozen letters, and cards and greetings of various sorts. Some she tore open and read aloud, some she read to herself, and some she kept to open when she might be alone. "Have you opened all your letters, Patty?" asked Jim, looking at her, quizzically. "No; I saved father's and Nan's to read by myself, you people are so distracting." "Oho! Father's and Nan's! Oho! aha! And are those the only ones you saved to read by yourself, young lady?" "I saved Elise's, also," said Patty, looking at him, a little surprised. "Aren't you the inquisitive gentleman, anyway!" "Elise's! Oh, yes, Elise's! And how about that big blue one,--what have you done with that?" "I don't see any big blue one," said Patty, innocently. "What do you mean, Jim?" "Oho! _what_ do I mean? What, _indeed_!" "Now, stop, Jim," said his wife. "I don't know what you're teasing Patty about, but she shan't be teased. If she wants to keep her big blue letter to herself, she's going to keep it, that's all." "Of course I shall," said Patty, saucily. "That is, I should, if I had any big blue letter, but I haven't." "Never mind big blue letters," said Roger, "let's all go out and play in the snow." So everybody put on wraps and caps and furs and out they went like a parcel of children to frolic in the snow. Snow-balling was a matter of course, but nobody minded a lump of soft snow, and soon they began to build the snow-man. He turned out to be a marvel of art and architecture, and as his heroic proportions were far too great for anybody's hat or coat, they draped an Indian blanket around him and stuck a Japanese parasol on the top of his head to protect him from the sun. Roger insisted on the cigarette, and as the snow gentleman had been provided with a fine set of orange-peel teeth, he held his cigarette jauntily and firmly. "I want to go coasting," said Patty. "And so you shall," said Jim. "I sent for a lot of sleds from the village, and I think they've arrived." Sure enough, there were half a dozen new sleds ready for them, and snatching the ropes, with glee, they dragged them to a nearby hill. It was a long, easy slope, just right for coasting. "Want to be pioneer?" asked Roger of Patty. And ever-ready Patty tucked herself on to a sled, grasped the rope, Roger gave her a push, and she was half-way down the hill before any one knew she had started. The rest followed, and soon the whole party stood laughing at the bottom of the long hill. "The worst is walking up again," said Patty, looking back up the hill. "Do you say that because it's what everybody says,--or because you're lazy?" asked Philip. "Because I'm lazy," returned Patty, promptly. "Then get on your sled, and I'll pull you up." "No, I'm not lazy enough for that, I hope! But I'll tell you what I'll do; I'll race you up." "Huh! as if I couldn't beat you up, and not half try!" "Oh, I don't _know_! Come on, now, do your best! One, two, three, go!"