‘Then,’ he added, ’there are jimmyjacks ‘n’ silver no nuthin’s.’

There were many other suggestions but none of them were decisive.

The snow lay deep on either side of the way and there was a glimmer on every white hillside where Jack Frost had sown his diamonds.  Here and there a fox track crossed the smooth level of the valley and dwindled on the distant hills like a seam in a great white robe.  It grew warmer as the sun rose, and we were a jolly company behind the merry jingle of the sleigh bells.  We had had a long spell of quiet weather and the road lay in two furrows worn as smooth as ice at the bottom.

‘Consarn it!’ said Uncle Eb looking up at the sky, after we had been on the road an hour or so.  ’There’s a sun dog.  Wouldn’t wonder if we got a snowstorm’ fore night.

I was running behind the sledge and standing on the brake hooks going downhill.  He made me get in when he saw the sun dog, and let our horse — a rat-tailed bay known as Old Doctor — go at a merry pace.

We were awed to silence when we came in sight of Hillsborough, with spires looming far into the sky, as it seemed to me then, and buildings that bullied me with their big bulk, so that I had no heart for the spending of the two shillings Uncle Eb had given me.  Such sublimity of proportion I have never seen since; and yet it was all very small indeed.  The stores had a smell about them that was like chloroform in its effect upon me; for, once in them, I fell into a kind of trance and had scarce sense enough to know my own mind.  The smart clerks, who generally came and asked, ’Well, young man, what can I do for you?’ I regarded with fear and suspicion.  I clung the tighter to my coin always, and said nothing, although I saw many a trinket whose glitter went to my soul with a mighty fascination.  We both stood staring silently at the show cases, our tongues helpless with awe and wonder.  Finally, after a whispered conference, Hope asked for a ‘silver no nothing’, and provoked so much laughter that we both fled to the sidewalk.  Uncle Eb had to do our buying for us in the end.

‘Wall, what’ll ye hev?’ he said to me at length.

I tried to think-it was no easy thing to do after all I had seen.

‘Guess I’ll take a jacknife,’ I whispered.

‘Give this boy a knife,’ he demanded.  ‘Wants t’ be good ’n sharp.  Might hev t’ skin a swift with it sometime.’

‘What ye want?’ he asked, then turning to Hope.

‘A doll,’ she whispered.

‘White or black?’ said he.

‘White,’ said she, ‘with dark eyes and hair.’

‘Want a reel, splendid, firs’-class doll,’ he said to the clerk.  ’Thet one’ll do, there, with the sky-blue dress ‘n the pink apron.’

We were worn out with excitement when we left for home under lowering skies.  We children lay side by side under the robes, the doll between us, and were soon asleep.  It was growing dark when Uncle Eb woke us, and the snow was driving in at the doorway.  The air was full of snow, I remember, and Old Doctor was wading to his knees in a drift.  We were up in the hills and the wind whistled in our little chimney.  Uncle Eb had a serious look in his face.  The snow grew deeper and Old Doctor went slower every moment.