No end of it was reached that day; but the barn was reached, and all the quadrupeds and bipeds were found, safe and hungry, and were carefully attended to.
"We sha'n't get into the woods again right away," said Corry; and he was right about that, but there was a thoughtful look on Susie's face as she remarked,—
"I wonder how Mrs. Stebbins is getting along. There's nobody there but Vosh."
"He's a worker," said the deacon. "He's very strong for his age,—likeliest youngster in the whole valley. We can't get over there to-day, but we will to-morrow."
That had indeed been a busy time for Vosh, hard and late as he had worked the night before; and his mother came out to help him.
"It ain't no time to talk, Lavawjer," she said to him; "but I do wish I knowed how the deacon's folks was a-gettin' on. They must be pretty nigh snowed under."
"Guess they're all right, but it'll give Susie and Port some notion of what snow can do in the country."
Away on into the night the great northern gusts worked steadily; but towards morning it seemed as if the storm decided that it had done enough, and it began to subside. Now and then it again took hold as if it had still a drift or so to finish; but by sunrise every thing was still and calm and wonderfully white.
"This'll be a working-day, I guess," said the deacon; "but all the paths we make'll stay made."
There was some comfort in that; for all they had made on Sunday had to be shovelled out again, and the pigs were as noisy as ever.