The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-01-09

'If he were onl. uere tonight. my
poor, Wild put good-natured boy !"
throwing down her knitting with tragic
abandon, very rare in Berkshire women,
ana covered up her. face with her hands.
IF he were only here tonight !!
gasped old john, as if the possibility
choked him. "Td-I'd-set old Bounce
on him. tF4at's what I'd do"
Old p,ounce-sliahtl deaf-lifted his
head to make sure that his name had
be On mentioned, and, thinking himself
mistaken, made a feint of having heard
something else. BE went to the door
and shifted interrogatively at the thresh;
hold. Presently he did hear something
else-the Glow clang, clang of sleigh bells
IN horses that were toiling up the steep
mountain road. He bristled appropriate
" and growled. The bells drew near.
"Pick up your knitting work Marthy,
in a ouieter voice 'It's the Banges, L
guess, come for their turkeys"
There was halt at the great gate, and
after something of an interval step on
the porch and rap on the door consid-
erably unlike the stormy entrance OF the
| Banges. Mis-. John had hastily dried
| her eyes, but her manner was fustered
a. she stepped to the door and threw it
Hospitality open.
A heavily cloaked man. with frosty
brows aid eyes, With an inherited twinkle
| in them-how like a story it begins to
| saen-came forward into the freight.
| In MS arms he carried bundle wrapped
| ip furs, from which descended two small
! feet and some long curls of yellow hair.
| Old Bounce bristled, walked all around
the visitor, looked into his face, waxged
an apology and dropped into the back
| ground.
! The man stood the bundle upon the
| floor, the heavy furs fell away from it,
and a sweet little girl blossomed out into
the freight.
II has come to grandpa's, she said
| 10 a voice something like little sh aver
of silver
Mrs. John set out some chairs, hus
tlinly, and Mr.. John ventured the infor-
nation that the night was cold.
81 has come to grandpa s." persist
emily claimed the little girl.
eyes, darling. you have come to
grardpa's! father and mother, are we
welcome?''
The big, becloaked mans voice trem-
bled. Above anything else he was
wrought upon by the wrinkles and the
gray hairs that he and the years had
combined to bring to these always beloved
| onns Tho olI ---~.Lo- - Us i:--r
upon his neck at once, calling him hun
dred foolish, crazy names, as il he we're
agaip baby in her arms.
The father-the steel trap look was
startled from his mouth, and deeper
red than any freight could paint rushed
over his dee.
Then he clumsily took one of the out
stretched hands.
John" he said.
All, he would haye given half his farm
if he could have fallen upon his neck
and blubbered and sobbed out the sud-
den father-love that filled his heart But
it is only to women that this sort of
Il r., L
content with choking.
''This motherless little-cant you for
give her. sir?'
It seemed to old John that people
were bent on strangling him outright.
Forgive? Lord bless you; Lord for
give ME, john" and then he did go
dow on his neck, and Bounce gave trou-
blcd bark. the little girl began to whim-
per-thinking that coming to grandpa's
had some very dubious phases about it,
after all
'She'll freeze to DEATH" exclaimed
young John then. and whisked out into
the porch. and whisked in again, half
carrying a little briget- faced woman, with
blonde hair, like the child's.
you'll forgive me for being still
alive" she said, holding out hand to
each of the old people.
I'D never forgive you If you were any
thing else" numbered old john
All, such lighting up of the dark old
farmhouse such a kindling of fires In
astonished 6replaces; such bold attempts
to eat and drink and be merry as ic moth
ing had happened.
1t was very much like the story of the
enchanted castle told over again In
hOmelIar NAV