Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-12-20
Lie. 49,, .ho hahr henan to cry in

Just then the baby began to cry in
good earnest. What it had done before
was a mere trife to the screams which
now filed the woods. The hermit did
not know what in the world to do. He
swung the stocking vigorously around, but
the baby kept on with steadily increasing
violence.
"Ive heard 'em go ON worse than that, "
cried the boy, shouting as if he were In a
storm at sea. "You ought to warm some
milk and feed it"
Haven't got any!" yelled the hermit
back. "Would corn-meal dor"
Chow do you mean2" shouted the boy.
Gin ash cakes?" IT,
"Yesr' howled the hermit.
mop screamed the boy.
Nothing was now heard for minute OF
two but the wild clamor of the baby, and
then the boy shouted, "Hallo I'd take
it up to our house, if were you, and get
it stopped"
call rightp' called out the hermit
but how shall carry it?'
"Hold fast to the stocking-top, and let
it dangle," replied the boy, and away
they went.
On the way the baby lulled little, and
the boy, despite his nuts and candy, be-
gan to feel hungry. Hermit" said he,
was there an apple in your stocking be.
sides the baby p The Hermit stopped
and carefully felt the stocking all around
the baby.
"No," said he, s'there was no apple"
"Never mind" said the boy, can
get one at home," and they kept on tAeit
way.
The boy reached the house first and told
about the wonderful thing the hermit had
found in his stocking, and when the good
man arrived, he and his baby had one of
the warmest welcomes that ever was
seen. The house was full of company, and
everybody seemed wild with desire to
do something for either the baby or the
hermit. Ever 80 many ladies seized on
the big stocking, and the sweet little
cherub was quickly pulled out and ten.
derly cared for. All the people in the
halls and parlors crowded around the
hermit, and he had to tell his
story over and over again, and
everybody who heard it, wanted him
to warm himself and have something tc
| eat and drink. The children too pressed
around him, and he had to tell every
thing to them, while they chartered all
the time like SO many birds, and they took
him to see the Christmas tree, and he had
to examine every present. When the
baby was quiet and comfortable and had
been dressed nicely, the hermit went up
stairs to look az it, and he carried ii
down, cradle and all, and walked proud
ly around with it so that everybody
could see what he had found in his Christ
mas stocking. He had to stay to dinner
and then he staid to see the games at might
and he never spent such delightful
| Christmas in all his life.
The hermit never went back to his
cave. He would not hear of such a thing
as giving up his baby, and it would never
do to keep such tender little child in g
cold hole in hill. So he took frame
house in the village, and had cook-stove
and things, and good woman to take
care of him and the child, and there he
lived as happy as king. On any bright
morning, in those days, you might have
seen him walking slowly up and down
his garden, the baby on one arm, and his
heavy old book open on the other. HI
always said that the best thing he evel
did in his life was to hang up his stock
ing on that blessed Christmas eve.