The poor
old woman's anxiety should be relieved, and the two oldest of the Bunker
children were determined that they would relieve it regarding her son,
"Sneezer," if that were possible.
So Russ found some cardboard boxes that had held certain of their
Christmas presents, and he tore these apart and they wrote carefully a
message to the old woman's absent son on both faces of these cards. At
least, Russ wrote them, for by now he had learned at school to write a
very good hand. Rose was not so sure--especially about her "q's" and
capital "S's." Anybody who could read handwriting at all, however,
could have read those signs that Russ Bunker wrote.
"It doesn't seem like Christmas time at all," Rose said, as the two ran
down the lane right after breakfast toward the branch and the burned
cabin. "See the leaves and grass! And there's a flower!"
It was only a weed, but it was a pretty one and Rose gathered it--of
course for Mother Bunker. When they came in sight of Mammy June's cabin
it was a sad looking place indeed. The little Bunkers had had several
nice visits to the old woman's cabin, and they were really very sorry
that it had burned down.
The disaster was complete. The log walls were tumbled in heaps and were
all charred. The interior of the hut was little but ashes.
"Oh!" cried Rose. "If that Sneezer Meiggs did come home and see all
this, he might go away again, just as his mother says.
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