The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-12-25

i. happened, until q Rlance toward the be,
and 4 view of that Awful Something
!, clearly defined In outline, under a snow
. sheet struck him with new terror. Tina
/, sight has struck q mortal terror and pail
into most Of oar lives some day or othel
With q wild, despafring cry, that thos
who heard it can never forget, he threw
himself down by it, sobbing, "Oh, m,
: motherl my mother!" Strange, kindly
; hands raised him, loving words wer1
chokingly spoken, and 4 mans stronl
arms held him closely and tenderly, as |
heartfelt prayer for forgiveness and . sol
emn VOW went up together.
| Adam White had gone to his bachelor
bed Christmas Eve, In the serene con
sciousaees Of duty we'll done, and in pear,
and good. will to all men. He bounced
into the middle OF tho bed, end sank dowi
almost. out Of sight In the feathers dndei
the bed-clothes How warm and cozy j
was; all the warmer and cosier kecaesl
outside, the shrilk keen wind whistlet
through TIE snrieking branches Of tn
trees, and the full, round moon peepet
into the room through the fairy lattice
work and frosted arabesq"es OF Tie win
dox;psnes
! CnfiStmSS Eve, tnOugnt AOSm ,W0lte
As he nestled III his warm bed, and
strange recollecticns u long forgotten
childhood, little glinlpses and fe1iinis
cences Of Kris Kringle-of the 1is.!e red
stocking hung ~ Tie wide old fire
plaee-of the Christ child in the manger
OF watching shepherds and the cleaning
angels, Of the sweet song Of TIE Gngel
Choir LONG sgc one midnight-all
mingled, and foated and jostled through
his brain in that delicious, halfconscious
state which precedes sleep, until he
walked with start at the unwopted PIC
ture his mind was involrntariiy draw
ing7wcke 4 curious new sensation, with
Feeling that there was something more
in life than the store on the corner and
the account at the bank, and then re-
Numbering himself again, turned over
WHIP the conscling thodght lie had done
we'll hy the hoct.
] Te.ssnning this thought over and over
dreamily in his mind, lie At last fell sound
asleep; yet strangely mixing in with his
dreams were the thoughts of his gifts to
The poor-the ham, the flour, the sugar
| and all-and he seemed to be laden with
them all, and obliged to carry them all,
| where he hardly knew, up and up, far
and far. 1t seemed like plain of upper
air, but above it were the stars of heaven
shining With cold, bright eyes, and then
| came misty, shadowy shapes thronging
around, and Adam White was CARVING
his ham, and sugar and dour-one Of 4
vast procession all laden With burdens
toward humble building, stable, over
| which blaZed the brightest star. A flash
quick as comes in dreams, and overhead
he saw, with trembling awe and fear, the
he$te6s roll away, and rank ON rank, light
not of the sun but sweeter, brighter, fash
ing from golden harps and radiant gar
ments Of celestial armies of seraphim
and cherubim; while down to earth az up
to Heaven, thrilled the sweet song that on
the plains of Judea proclaimed the birth
OF the Prince of Peace-the Lion of the
tribe of Judah. =
Into the stable. up to the manger, borne
IN by the vast procession, moved Adam
White, with the rank old ham, the musty
Hour, the spoilt sugar, seeming as though
they would weigh him down to the earth,
while his heart grew heavier and heavier,
and thumped harder and harder at
his side. Before him were the
wise men with gold and frankincense
and myrrh, and behind him came people
of every cline bearing rich gifts. One by
one they knels before the manger. Holy
babel One by one, with bowed head and
and outstretched hands, as though all un.
worthy, they presented their rich gifts,
and as though to yield up life itself for
His sake would be privilege; and then,
as gold and frankincense and silken
stufs and sparkling jewels rose in frag-
rant shimmering heaps, there came a
voice from the rifted clouds, SAYING,
what have you to offer, Adam White =,
And ranked cherubim and seraphim
ceased their song, and through ali the
vaults of heaven rolled and reverberated
the dreadful question, "What have vou
brought to our Lord, Adam White,'
Trembling with fever that searched
every joint in his frame and seemed al
most to turn to water the very marrow in
his bones, poor Adam White faltered out,
in weak, quavering treble, while all the
hosts of heaven and all the thronging
hosts of men kept silence, II have only
this flour, this sugar, this ham and these
apples, oh, Lord; but l did not intend
them for you; I was taking them to the
poor"
taking them to the poorl" And the
angels wept, while demoniac laughs echo
ed around his very feet; and, as he looked
down, Adam White saw yawning pit
where millions of agonized or jeering
faces were lifted to his.
After looking sorrowfully at him for a
moment, the beautiful Babe raised and
said, know ye not that inasmuch as We
did it unto the least of these ye did it unto
Then Adam White felt that he was fall.
ing down-down till his breath failed,
and he elutched desperately to the right
and LEFT, and still fell, till with shock he
awJKe in his soft bed, covered with per.
spiration and still shaking with fear.
Adam White slept no more that night;
he had been made to see some things, in
new light; and in those solemn hours
he had come to think of many duties he
had neglected, many opportunities lost.
The clock struck one, and he somehow
happened to think of his nephew, whom
he had turned adrift without assistance
nine years ago, when he married pretty
little seamstress, instead of an hefress
whom he had chosen, and to regret his
course of action on that occasion. He
remembered very distinctly how thin and
i'll he looked the last time he had seen
him before he died, and his wan face
seemed now . reproach to the lonely old
DachelOr. III l live till daylight, said
Adam, II will find his poor wife and
children, and bring them home. l can do
that much anyhow, and will not send that
trash to the poor. No, God forbid?" Then
his shrunken little heart began to glow
with genial warmth that had been q
stranger to it many long day and he arose
as soon as daylight came. While at his
solitary breakfast he thought of how he
could soonest fnd his niece, and remem-
bering that the last time he raw Charlie
alive he was dressed in the uniform Of q
policeman-which uniform, indeed, look
ed as If it had been hung on live skele-
ton-and he thought perhaps it would be
best to inquire at the station.
After breakfast he wrapped himself up
till he looked like . suffering egyptian
mummy, with only the tip Of his little
blue nose visible, and started on his
search. hquiring ct the station, s kind.
hearted policeman land they are not so