"They didn't know Mrs. Watson's house was snowed up so. It was out in the country, you know, and the snow hadn't drifted so badly in the town. But they missed us from meeting in the morning, and in the afternoon a man came into town, and told them he had seen the house with the wall of snow all around it. So they got their shovels, and came right out to help us." "I think it was dreadful!" said Marion. "But God was taking care of us, dearie," said Grandma, "and he heard and answered our prayers." PARANETE. [Illustration: OUR BABY.] _Volume 13, Number 27._ Copyright, 1886, by D. LOTHROP & CO. _May 8, 1886._ THE PANSY. [Illustration: GOING A-MAYING.] REACHING OUT. (_A further Account of Nettie Decker and her Friends._) BY PANSY. CHAPTER VII. "YOU see," said Jerry, as Nettie came, protesting as she walked that she could stay but a few minutes, because there was Norm's collar, and she had four nice apples out of which she was going to make some splendid apple dumplings for dinner, "you see we must contrive something to keep a young fellow like Norm busy, if we are going to hold him after he is caught. It doesn't do to catch a fish and leave him on the edge of the bank near enough to flounce himself back into the water. Norm ought to be set to work to help along the plans, and kept so busy that he wouldn't have time to get tired of them." "But how could that be done?" Nettie said in wondering tones, which nevertheless had a note of admiration in them. Jerry went so deeply into things, it almost took her breath away to follow him. "Just so; that's the problem which ought to be thought out. I can think of things enough; but the room, and the tools to begin with, are the trouble." "What have you thought of? What would you do if you could?" "O my!" said Jerry, with a little laugh; "don't ask me that question, or your folks will have no apple dumplings to-day. I don't believe there is any end to the things which I would do if I could. But the first beginnings of them are like this: suppose we had a few dollars capital, and a room." "You might as well suppose we had a palace, and a million dollars," said Nettie, with a long-drawn sigh. "No, because I don't expect either of those things; but I do mean to have a room and a few dollars in capital for this thing some day; only, you see, I don't want to wait for them." "Well, go on; what then?"