Litchfield enquirer., 1873-02-06

tell you DOGQ SCOry. OnCo blof0 was Q
 little boy, and he had two kittens. And
 he named one of Buff and one Muff." But
 this could not last forever. Shutdown
 came. And then Laura and Tommy climbed their own tower, and she lighted
 her own lantern as she called 1t. Sickly
 and sad through the storm she could see
 the sister lantern beaming bravely. And
 that was all she could see in the sullen
 whiteness. ''Now Tommy, my darling,
 we will come and have some supper
 And while the bridegroom tarried they
 all slumbered and slept
 lies, 'ts he, althougNhe perished Still his second troth he cherished
 Come, Tommy,-come, Tommy,-come,
 Tommy,-let me tell you story" And the children had their supper, ask ing terrible questions about papa. Ques- tlons which who should answer? But she could busy herself about giving them their oatmeal and treating them to gin ger-snaps, because 1t was Christmas Eve.
 Nay, she kept her courage when Tommy
 asked if Santa Claus would come in the
 boat with papa. She fairly loitered over
 the undressing them. Little witches,- how pretty they were in their flannel night-gowns. And Tommy kissed her, and gave her-ah me Lone more kiss for papa. And in two minutes they were asleep. It would have been better if they could have kept awake one minute long, CT T.! Now she was really alone. And very soon seven o'clock has come. She does not dare leave the clock work at the outer lantern minute longer. Tom and Nip pies wind the works every four hours, and now they have run five. One more look at her darlings. Shall she ever see them again in this world Now to the duty next her hand
 Yes, the wind is as fierce as ever! A point more to the north, Laura notices She has no child to carry now She tum- bles once ln the drift. But Laura has rolled Tn the snow before. The pile at the door is three feet thick. But she works down to the latch, and soon her poor numb hand conquers it, and it gives way. How nice and warm the tower is. And how we'll the lights burn! Gan they be of any use this night to anbody? O, my God, grant that they be of use to him !''
 She has wound them now. She has toundered into the snow again. Two or three falls on her way home, but no dan ger that she lose the line of march. The light above her own house is before her, so she has only to aim at that Home again. And now to wait for five hours. and then to wind that hghtagain-at mid night
 "'And at midnight there was a cry made,-O dear! If he would come. I would not ask for any cry!''
 And Laura got down her choice inlaid box, that Jem brought her from sea. and which held her treasures of treasures. And the dear girl did the best thing she could have done. She took these treas ures out. You know what they were, do you not? They were every letter Tom Cutts ever wrote her, from the first boy- note Ill print,-Laura, these hedgehog quills are for you. I killed him. TOM.S And Laura opened them all, and read them one by one, each twice, and put them back, in their order, without fold lng into the box At ten she stopped and worked her way upstairs into her own lantern, and wound its works agaln. She tried to persuade herself that there | vas less wind,-did persuade herself so. But the snow was as steady as ever. Down 5ile +ower stairs again, and then few blessed minutes brooding over Mattie's ;rlb, and dear little Tom, who has kicked llmself right athwart her own bed. where 'he had laid him. Darlings! they are so oVely, their father must come home to zee them. Back then to her kitchen fire mere are moro of dear Toms letters vet. How manly they are,-and how womanly, She Will read them all! Will she ever fare to read them all again?
 les, she reads them all, each one twice oyer, and his soldier diary, which John Nlldalr saved and sent home, And as he lays 1t down, her clock strikes twelve. Jhristmas day iR born
 :" And at midnight there was cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh.'" Laura fairly repeated this aloud. She lneW that the other Carcel must be wound gain. She dressed herself for the fight thoroughly. She ran in and trusted her elf to kiss the children. She opened ne lee door again, and crept round again nto the storm-familiar now with such dventure. Did the surf beat as fiercelv n the rocks? Surely not. But then the lde IS now so low! So she came to her ther tower, crept up and wound her iock.Work mp again, wiped off-or tried wipe off-what she thought was mist athering on the glasses, groped down the talrWay, and looked up on the steady 91O 1OONO uSI ONA ana the ClrlSt- | las texts came back to her.
 1.-The star went before them, and came nd stood above the place where the oung child was."
 "A light to tighten the Geptiles, and he glory of my people Israel By the way of the sea'-and this Lau- 3 almost shouted aloud, ,-'Galilee of the Tentlles, the people who sat in darkness " fnrht &o Alo Il | le region and shadow of death light is prung up.' Grant it, merciful Father rant 1t to these poor children And she lmost ran through the heavy drifts, till , ne found the shelter again of her friend 7 tower. Her darlings had not turned l their bed since she left them there. And after this, Laura was at rest. She 'ok down her Bible, and read the Christ las chapters. It was as if she had never ! nown before what darkness was, or hat the Light was when it came. She ! ,ek her hymn-book and read all the hristmas hymn. She took her Keble ld read every poem for Advent. and le hymn for Christmas morning. She new this by heart long ago. Then she ! 'ok Bishop Ken's Christian Year, which om had given her for her last birthday ] resent, and set herself bravely to com fitting his Christmas Day" to memory:
 Celestial Harps prepare, '
 To sound your loftiest air, |
 Ye Choral angels at the throne, '
 Your customary hymns postpone | And thus, dear girl, she kept herself I om thinking even of the wretched Hero Id Leander lines, till her clock struck rec. Upstairs then to her own tower. Id to look out upon the night The sis f T flame was steady. The wind was all f 1shed. But the snow was as steady. . ght and left, behind and before. Down r gain, one more look at the darlings, and : zen, as she walked up and down her lit kitchen, she repeated the verses she ad learned. And then sat down to
 You with your heavenly ray [
 Gid the expanse this day.
 You wiiSlh your heavenly ray
 Gild-the expanse-this day: I
 You -with-your-heaE 2 Dear Laura, bless God,-she is asleep. V