Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-01-01

her in the warm, and give her time to
come rightly 10 herself, III brew her
some porridge and fetch it after a bit"
/ News travelled fast at the crossing; and
by the time Mistress Mcbride started out
with her bowl of porridge all the neigh
bors knew of the baby at Tom LarkiG's.
I'D take it kindly of you, Mister Lar
/ kim said the nurse, iii you'd come over
| in a friendly way and have your bit of
dinner with us. There's my old man,
/ bedridden, rs you may say, to his chair,
and he do get uncommon lonesome; and
it's many year since baby came under
| ourroof'
They're plenty enough hereabous,"
said Tom, with his old grutf way, But in
a moment his face broke into twinkle of
a smile, as he added:
"Well, we'll I'll come over What n
! thing ii is, now, to have babyw And
all the neighbors stared in wonder to see
! Nurse Mcbride carrying the baby home
| in her arms, as carefully as if 1t had been
| little princess; and Tom walking after,
with proud air-proud Of his baby, to
| be sure.
The nurse was right. The baby brought
! a blessing. The dear Lord sent her--a
messenger before his face, to prepare the
way for him to enter into that humble
| little house and that poor heart Even
| Tom found that Maggie would always be
a cripple, let her live as long as she
might. 1t only brnnsAt llttle cloud
| ON his sunsline 'ltll turn for the best
! some way" he said. We've both our
cross to carry; and maybe it'll keep us
nearer to each other and the Lord"
AS for Maggie, everything was right Ia
n lol nd
little house full of sunshine, in spite of
the crutch, which never seemed a bit in
her way. Every Christmas Eve they two
sat by the fire, and Tom told the story of
the baby that lay upon the track and
Maggie listened, with her eyes shining in
the freight, and even the cross, grum-
bling old crutch grew amiable for
while.
Il thought the good Lord had forgotten
all about me, away up yondcr among his
angels; and all the time He was nigh at
hand, a takin' thought how to save me-"
said Tom, with reverent wonder.
Hes good Lord, Father" said Mag,
gle
eyes, a good Lord" said Tom, fervently.
"Do you mind the hymn they learned YOU
at mission-school, Maggie
" To save thy soul from sin and shame
Thy Lord helpless child becsmey'
Well, | can't seem to get it out of my head
that the Lord did more than that for me.
| lIecome twice for me; once in Bethle-
| hem, that time the angels sung; and once
| ten years ago this very night, right here
at the crossing. And it's my mind the
Lord come to a-many doors where they
never know what they lose by shutting of
| him out"
ave got my Christmas gifts all ready"
| said Maggie. "Such a lot of 'em, toon
| And, picking up the crutch, before it had
a chance TO growl, she whiSked it over
| the floor to the corner cupboard, and back
again, with big covered basket "See,
| Father Something for everybody at the
crossing" And Mage p"ead out the
| gifts, enough to load down ST. Nicholas
| himself. Warm cloth slippers for old
Sandy Mcbride. Cut out by an Old shoe
and shaped like the toot Of equity ele-
| plant; but that was no matter
"The tailor gave me the pieces" said
| Maggie, land quilted the sOles on his big
machine. And this flannel nightcap is
! for Granny Peters; she's been wishing
! for one a long time" She clappcd it on
| her own bright head, and looked SO funny
|
Well, | cannot begin to tell you. Soft
balls and hard balls; rag dollies, paper
! dollics, and queer little old dellies, with
heads made from hickory nuts, looking
! in their Quaker dresses and white caps
like a regiment of blessed old grand
mothers. Pretty pictures, pasted on box
covers and painted gayly: mittens, made
Of old stocking-tops and finished with
| hrif of lf. nj al gh
! holders, all manner of ingenious little
triHes, manufactured out Of odds and ends
! of ribbon, calico, and silk, Nothing
came amiss to Maggie
Something for everybody but me-"
said Tom, pretending to look grave.
! con- dear" said Maggie. "But you and
! don't want any Christmas gifts, | don't
see how anything could possibly make Us
any happier
All the time the old crutch was laughing
to itself It knew Of two secrets, One
was a splendid long muflier-gray, with
| green stripes at the end every stitch knit
by Maggie and safely hid away for Toms
| Christmas present The other vas a pair
Of brown gloves, flannel lined and trimmed
| with fur at the wrist, that were rustling in
their paper wrapping that very moment
| with Impotence for Maggie to hang Mp
! Aer stocking and 20 tobcd.
! They were both asleep, Tom and Mag
gle, that uightWhcn the chimes rang from
! st. Madcline's steeple But ! know that
the angels and the Lord Of the angels
blessed them; for they had done what
they could to bring "peeac on earth and
good will to man. ~ J. IadepeHdeat
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