The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-04-03

bitter night ~ he adds, SoH0 poce. as ne draws on
his blue hose. "All's up, now Jessie stirring
before me, and my chance lost Wei, che shall
pay for this, by waiting my while now
"Davien calls his mother, as he swings down
the ladder-rounds, and towards the door :" don't
20 without drop of something warming. Here's
| mug of coffee, lad p
Coffee be confoundedn be exclaims, impa-
tiently kicking one slipper into the fire, which
Jessie as dexterously rescues with the giant
| tongs.
aThank ye Jessie!" he cOndesceuds to say
half in shame, taking scorching roll from her
hand; "you're a rare sis for cross cOot of fel-
| low like mep
Will you peep out on the prairie, after your
sumptuous breakfast reader? The storm has
| flown bowling back TO it's den, and left its amphi-
theatre to the brisk wind that always PLAYS over
| the prairie II has left its footprints however
as well as it's snow-cloak, behind it, Yonder, miles
Of fence lie Frustrated, as at one single breath
| all the rails that ran east and west have been
linked in the overthrow, and the pastures are
mingled into one, to-day. The windmill, has been
whirling all night without the help Of It's wings,
and now it looks grim and frosted in the morning
| light, as though its joints were stiff from their
| play with the storm Yonder is q barn lying on
one corner the sheep are scampering off, with
out fold or a shepherd, to pastures unknown.
| There is Farmer LIS house unroofed. surely!
| What will the poor children do for Christmas
covering to their heads I? All well, every latch
string on the prairie hangs out to them, and not
one of them shall want the choicest bit of the
Christmas dinners pudding or turkey to-day.
Here come the sleighs In merry jingle! Don't
criticize them their pattern is not from Yankee
land, certainly; but il the beamy of a sleigh-ride
is its njoynaeU,n as a friend once said to me, why
| then, none of you can boast more, even in the
line of the beautiful, than these Christmas riders
on their comical sleds There goes Jumper"
darling over the soft snow like a bird across a
cloud II was framed by rs owner last evening,
| from couple Of long hickory poles, curved in at
| the end, and joined by few planks loosely put
together and if it fall apart in mid prairie, so
much the merrier for him, his wild companion,
and wilder colt!
These people are not Of "the aristocracy,"
even of this corner of America. They are among
the lneal descendants of Adam, who earn their
bread, like their superlativey great grandfather,
" in the sweat of their brow p and who, IL they
take only one HOLIDAY from the labors Of the year.
will claim it for Christmas, in memory of the
4" ould countrieo across the wide ocean.
Have care of the frost, friends ID claims toll
of all who invade its domain to-day, and thick
must be the shield that can successfully ward off
its shafts One morning q poor man was thus
crossing this prairie on foot, in the lull after
fierce snow.storm, with a young boy he failed
at last, and dropping down into'the stsgnation of
death, sent on his young companion, to battle for
life little longer. The youth reached house
after an agonizing effort but in the amputation
Of both his feet he paid the forfeit of the rash
attempt, which had proved fatal to one--neary
so to both.
There is no service to-day in that speck of q
church that you spy afar by the woodland. Pres.
bytcrians cannot quite follow their Episcopal
brethren in this form; and those who are neither
one nor the other for little besides feasting
| and froicking.
| But the rides are over-save where the drunk.
en- shout of few rough jewellers from town rings
through the frosty air. Alas that the poison
| which steals mems brainsn should flow 30 freely
and 80 widely upon Christmas day
| merry dinner circle has Farmer Rathburn
with little knot of old friends, and his neigh
bors from the unroofed domicil yonder. Jessie
has forgotten her dreams and her griefs in the
excitement Of responsibility for the perfection Of
her goose sauce and plum-pudding.
"Bde Bit bairniesp she urges, as the hun
CRY children crowd around her, sadly to the dis
composure of her operations.
| ooh! aunty Jessie, give ] and Henry corn
dodger % clamors one, as Jessie turns the article
| from the fiat stone over the hot ashes
t-"There taxi it. and gang avn VII We az I
sail be.brain- crazed, sure p she adds, smiling
The dinner is over, the fragments carefully
gathered up by the same heedful hands that spread
the luxurious board. The guests have vanished
the children, with buns and cakes in hand, have
sauntered into some neighbours kitchen. Jessies
own tireless hands, too, have washed every china
cup and platter, rubbed each to glossy wilderness,
and set it into the old fashioned crockery cabinet
opened only on state occasions--an heirloom from
geners 'oas passed away.
| Jessie takes up her coarse blue huntington
her busy fingers would ache if idle for moment
and seats herself on the chintz cushioned settee
by the low window, to look out and muse.
| Davie stalks in presently, stacks bis gun above
the mantel-piece, then throws q brace of par
tridges at her feet, and himself down beside
| them
"Ye're in luck, laddie,n she observes, looking
at the still feathers, whose changeable beauty is
dsfgured by blood. stains.
Backwoods children are trained by stern ne
cessity to look upon the shedding Of wild birds
or beasts even innocent blood, with other eyes
than those whose daily meat is gained through
the hands Of a butcher, behind whose shambles
they, OF course, never cast a glance or thought
The pioneer invades the territory of bird and
beast, and is forced to keep good his title for a
time, by perpetual warfare with those who claim
the right of possession. Pigeons come down in
clouds, to root up every blade Of corn in his
hardly-earned clearing; wolves steal into his
sheep-fold; rabbits burrow and gnaw ruin in his
bit Of garden plot nameless birds Of the air
steal away his precious little store OF home raised
fruit. He has no adequate means Of defence
except his gun, and he often learns to use it too
remorselessly.
al shot them on the wing, Jessiep he exclaims,
with warmth then suddenly lowering his tone
Jessiel whapll you bid for seeraP Anything
better than these mttens-they beat buckskin
holI for kea n fell WI
| factp
"A secret for why--for who ~
"For the bonniest lassic pve set eyes on but
she must promise to forgive oil my saucy tricks.
| Come--bid!
aDon't tease me- laddiel out VII IL, quick ~
"There, them cried Dsvie, tossing the brown
ish, travel-worp square over her shoulder "don't
say Santa Claus didn't give you nothing, for he
brought that in his budget, only Twas too con-
founded cross But what ais you Jessie 2"
Jessie has dropped her knitting to the floor,
and grasped the letter spasmodically. she knows
the handwriting too quickly and too well, though
the post-mark be n strange one
Whats come TO you, Jessie IN insists the half
frightened boy, as she still sits speechlessly mo-
tionless, her parted lips growing paler every mo-
ment "pll call mother down, that ] will
and he springs to the ladder.
@Nae, nae bide btw she whispers, by vio- |
lent effort, the color coming Dack suddenly 10 her
cheeks and forehead, as she starts up to hinder |
his call "I1s-its only--oh thanks be to
Heaven and she burst into tears, the too full |
hearts overlooking
"Don't cry, Jessie IL Amt black seal"
pleads David who in his boyish logic can con-
ccive OF only one cause for tears Don't spoil |
your eyes before you come to read II ~
"Bless ye, boy, It's nae thai kennel he was
nae false. | kenned he was nae dead kenncd
IL always heren-she pressed her hand 10 her
throbbing side hut my heart has been sair-
sair weary o. waiting Bide while yet, laddie!
Gamma choose bat grear