It was a bitter cold morning; the sun shone brightly, but the wind blew a chilling blast over the new fallen snow. "Come, little boys," said Mama, "you must go to Uncle Howard's for the milk."

"O, it is so cold!" exclaimed Herbert.

"So very cold!" echoed Arthur.

"Never mind the cold!" answered Mama; "wrap yourselves up well and walk fast, and you will soon feel warm."

Still the little boys lingered; the coats and tippets--the warm scarlet tippets their aunts had knitted were on, and their mittens in their hands; but still they lingered. "Run along little boys," again said Mama, "go and hear what the pine trees will say."

Arthur looked up; "I never heard them say anything; what will they say, Mama?"

"They almost always say something to me," answered Mama. "The other day, when I was coming home to uncle Howard's, they said, 'Hurry home fast: little Bessie wants to see you; so do the little boys.' And one very bright morning I heard them say, 'How pleasant it is! How good God is! Be cheerful, be happy!'"

Herbert and Arthur listened with interest. "Come," said Arthur, " I should like to know that they will say to us."

They hurried out; and little Bessie watched them through the gate and up the hill, as long as she could see their red tippets. Soon they came to the pine grove.

"I don't hear anything," said Herbert. The wind blew through the branches with a murmuring sound.

"I hear something," replies Arthur, "but it is only, 'How cold it is! Run along, or you will freeze.'"

On they went; the wind was piercing cold; and their fingers ached. Arthur was ready to cry; and indeed when they reached their Aunt's warm breakfast room, the tears were beginning to start. But Aunt Louisa was very kind; she warmed their fingers, gave them biscuits to eat, and better then all, spoke kind comforting words to them. Then with their little pail of milk, and started for home. The wind was now behind them, the sun had grown warmer, and their hearts were full of pleasant thoughts. They forgot the pine trees till they were nearly opposite them. Then they listened, and the trees seemed to say, "Happy little boys! How kind everyone is! Try to be good!"

They were soon at home, and with bright faces sat down to warm their feet, and recount what they had seen and heard.

"And what did the pine trees say?" asked Mama.

"O! They didn't really talk," replied Arthur, "but it seemed to me they were almost crying when we went, and the were so merry, just as birds when we came back."

"AH! You have found the secret," said Mama. "The pine trees seem to say just what is in your heart. They sighed and complained when you were going, feeling cold and sad; but, when you came home bright and happy, the wind through the branches spoke of sunshine and happiness. Try to keep the kind, loving, pleasant thoughts in your heart little boys, and then the pine trees will always echo back gratitude, praise, and love."

TIP'PET, n. A narrow garment or covering for the neck... Webster's 1828 Dictionary (It is what we would call a neck scarf or muffler. The little boys, in this story, wore their tippet as a hood.)