Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-12-18

stairs, "fsaid Pegs; "he's Upstairs and I'm
Downstairs" ."----..s --e---s-
| "' Friends three,
4 Quito spree,
& Come to see
Howyou beF"
Then they all laughed, and went into the
room-for it was but one room-which the
/ little maid called "home." The fireplace
was the best part of it; all the rest was old
and bare; but that was made glorious by a
roaring great fire of pine chips and blocks.
Before it were boy and. girl so intently
watching the flames that they did not notice
the arrival of strangers.
Nov watch this. piece of the cid crutch
burn," said the boy; "this is splendid
piece 1t has been seasoning for years and
years, and dipped it in tar barrel this
morning, besides. He! don't she blaze,
though! tell you what, Christmas is great
z Yes, said the girl, 81 like the fire, too.
1t was real clever of you to think of taking
away the stove and opening the old fire.
the chips. But the best thing about Christ
mas is to have sister at home, isn't it?
With that they both locked around and
saw that there was company present. This
awful discovery quenched all conversation at
| first; but presently the Child slipped the new
shoes into Old Pegs hand, and pointed
silently at the rough, bare feet of the boy.
~ ", ",
Look here, yoIngster, here's pair of shoes
| for you from your affectionate uncle, Down.
| stairs!n " @s.lt 81 tf+
This was too much for the boys bashful-
ness. That quality is only skin deep in boys
| anyhow; and new shoes are always sure to
annihilate it-especially when fellow hasn't
any shoes at all. "Thats bully" cried the
| boy in this case, jumped up, turned a SOM
ersault, and throwing his bare feet into the
| air walked up to the shoemaker on his hands,
and in this unnatural position executed what
| might be called an inverted curtsy, after
| which he turned right side up without any
particular care) ard expressed his thanks in
a most respectful m inner.
Chow did you know" said he, that |
hadn't got any shoes? came near having a
pair, though. You see the fellow who sells
most copies of the Daily Penny Whistle gets
premium; and l am sure I would have got
| it last timeif two other fellows hadn't dubbed
| together and put all they both sold under
one name. So one of them, you see, got the
| fve-dollar prize, and then they two divided
it. I say that's mean. One of 'em offered to
let me into the ring; but wouldn't help em
cheat-though did want to earn pair of
shoes somehow. My last ones went in the
| five cents to stage driver, to nail on his
brake-bars. Those shoes would make bully
friction, they would; you see the soles we're
just chock full of pegs"
While the boy was thus making acquaint-
ance with the shoemaker the little girl arose
from the stool on which she had been sitting
and came toward the lady, for whom, and
for the musician, the maid had brought the
only two chairs in the room. The shoe
maker sat on q candle-box, which he said was
just high enough for him; and the bright
haired Child moved about the room in still,
happy way, as if feeling quite at home,
When the little girl arose they saw that she
was lame Rut she had a. dear. DatleQt.
cheerful face, and the lady was SO pleased
with her that she kissed her, at which the
lady's maid could scarcely believe her eyes.
"See my new crutch!" said the little girl
"My brother made it all himself, only the
carpenter gave him the wood And l made
him two warm ear-faps for his cap; sister
showed ME how. And sister gave us such
warm stockings-only he couldn't wear his
stockings, we thought, because he hadn't any
shoes" Here she turned suddenly on the
beautiful Child and added: But you said
the shoes would come; and SO knew they
would"
"Why, you know them!" said the lady to
the Child. "Them, and you, and everybody"
answered the Child simply, with smile
promised the shoes this morning, and what L
promised comes to pass, they know"
eyes," said the boy, "and you promised us
ride in a carriage and some beautiful music.
VIII that come, too, wonder? But don't
YOU mind, anyhow. You've done lots for u.s.
and | guess we've had our share already.
You see my shoes are the very best thing for
the family, because chilblains make me no
use at all But now l can 60 anywhere; and
VINO wants to ride? Tell the coachman he
needn't come; prefer walking!"
"He will come" said the Child, quietly,
and looked straight at the lady.
| g And oh! will the music come" eagerly
asked the little girl
The Child nodded, and looked at the mu-
sician.
eff my carriage were herem murmured
| the lady. "And my violin!' sighed the mu-
| sician. But the Child had disappeared; and
| it seemed but a moment before wheels were
heard outside, and a carriage stopped at the
door. Sure enough, it was the ladys car
riage; and the lady said, joyously: Now
| it's my turn; we Will take a ride, and get a
good Christmas dinner; and then we will all
| 90 to my rooms, and there we will have the
music"
But the lady's maid said she would 60 and
| prepare the rooms while the rest went to
ride; and both the shoemaker and the mu-
sician said they would help. So the lady
went off with the children, for hours and
| hours; and such time as they had no NOR
1 tai tongue can describe. When they finally
| appeared at the house both the young ones
( were so warmly and prettily dressed that
their sister didn't know them; and the boy
carried pair of skates, which he had chosen
perate mental struggle on the rival attrae-
tions of a jack-knife), while the little girl,
without any hesitation, had selected book
full of stories and pictures, and both of them
had united in preferring for their elder sister
the prettiest needle and scissors case in the
world. k& F'N EN# -
But, meanwhile, what hadn't the others
done with the house! 1t was truly magical.
Old Pegs had said, "Now, you young ones,
just go in, and I'll pay the bill. l haven't
spent anything for seventeen Christmases; and
don't ire if you pile it all on this one" So
they had bought wagon-loads of green
wreaths and boughs, and hired dozen people
to help with all their might; and before the
carriage got home they made the whole house
upstairs, down-sta and in my lady's
chamber--look lovely and cheerful as fairies
bower in the surnmer woods. The musician
had so many brilliant ideas that the little maid
could not help saying several times to herself,
"How much he knows; and how good he Is!
while she herself, on the other hand, was SO
quick, and neat, and handy, and untiring that
the musician thought he never had seen such
Il remarkably attractive and useful young
woman.
After the decorations were all ready there
was still time to tune the piano; and while he
was doing that she ran upstairs and put his
room in lovely order, hanging up clothes where
they belonged, and arranging books and pa
pers, so that it looked more comfortable and
cheerful than ever before. (The musician was
really grateful for this service, although, to be
sure, he couldn't find anything he wanted fol
days after; but that is an Incidental matter
altogether. When lovely woman takes sc
much pains to put away things, man ought tC
be wiling to suffer some Inconvenience In dis