Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-12-23
hair yellow, his figure slishs and sinu-

ed mouutaln r0ad We were 10 Iraye
4 together, and asked:
"Are you not afraid to go?"
The landlord interrupted:
e st don't matter if he is afraid
} He belongs to me. He shall 60"
t aNo." I said; she shall not 90,
he is not willing"
II am not at all afraid" the bo
] replied. s'and ] am quite willing t
go. l have gone, often and often
; through worse storms than this"
There was an earnest, manly grac,
even in the way he shook the gath
ering fakes from his. tattered cap
and in his voice there was such !.
hearty, cheering ring, from that mo
ment trusted and loved the boy.
! dumped | into the stage, took the
back seat, drew my great frieze coat
close about my legs, and we drove
off from among the gaping. sooty
crowd of miners into the lonely
mountain road; into the coldest
storm of wind and snow ever saw.
The boy sat on the front seat, wait
ing to be spoken to, looking straight
ahead
When we were quite clear of the
straggliag huts of the miners on the
outcrmost limits of the town, | ask
ed him his name.
| ''They cali me Lewis Shively," he
said.
How old are you, Lewis?" was
my next question.
"Fourteen, next April, sirr'
"Do You live at home, with your
father and mother?'
"That man yonder is all the father
or mother | have, and his stable loft
is the only home l have had since he
took me from the poorhOusc. That
was better than the stable, though,
for they taught me something there" !"
There were no complaining chords
in the tones in which these bitter
words were said, and while he was
speaking he was drawing the long
whip gently across the horses back,
brushiag off the snow that had fallen
on it.
"Have you been driving on this
road long?' | inquired.
"Going on three years. 1t will be
three years in March,"
SIS it cold ont there? Colder
than in here, | mean?'
Il think it is" he replied; "the wind
and snow cuts so. but | don't mind,
sir. We get use to rough weather
up in these hills"
Il wish YOU would come in here;
my coat will cover us both
No, / can't he said. II must
watch the road now. We have to go
pretty close to. the precipice some
times"
elbow close?" | asked.
"Within Il few inches. | can't
see now five yards ahead, the snow
falls so heavily"
do you think it safe then, to go
on?"
"Quite safe, sir. and | don't mind
the cold" But his teeth chartered
as he said it, and the ruddy glow was
all gone from his cheeks.
Ibid not talk more then. There
were, l discovered, wide cracks in the
stage, through which the wind pour
ed mercilessly. l was chilled through
to the heart in less than an hour after
starting. l do not know how far we
had gone, or how long we had been
upon the road, when L heard the
boys voice, CHEEKY and bright, ask
ing:
"How are you now, sir? Feeling
pretty comfortable, sir?'
| nodded my head, and crept closer
into the corner. But he was wiser
than I. and would not let me have the
sleep coveted.
"You are in a hurry to get hOme,'
he said, for want of something bet !
ter to say with which to arouse me.
"Yes" / replied. 81 want to be at /
home on Christmas Eve"
'sThe best days | ever knew were
good while ago" Z.
He said it as if he were ever and
ever so old, and what was saddest of
all, as if he were done with Christ
mas forever. | told him of the tree
that | was to get, and how Christmas
Day was kept in the great cities.
He was most interested in the tree,
me tell him again and again
about it. But after awhile, as if
he were tired of it, he said:
Il never saw tree like that. /
know about Christmas, though.
About the Star and the Shepherds.
ind the Christ Child, you spoke Of
hat they laid in a Manger.''
"Then yon know all that any one
n this world need ever care to
Snow," / said.
Itmay have been an hour, or two
lours, but it seemed but a minute
lfter this that the boy shook me
.oughly by the shoulder.
ave are to get out here" he said.
l. WIS Stiu III tu1 JotHt', ouD So"iN
ret up and climb ont Of the stage: and
10 more. If was cold / did not
know it; my limbs were numb, yet
otherwise / was comfortable enough.
crawled out and followed the boy
nto a miserable-looking shanty by
he roadside, in front of which he :
lad stopped. There was a rough
,ar running across the room, there
vas thick, black haired, brawny-
ooking man behind it, and there
vere two or three kegs Of liqnor be-
lind him. There was an iron stove |
n the middle of the room, bench
long the wall, and that was all. The /
10Y asked for some brandy, drank a /
lass Of it after handing one to me,
which I drank, and felt so much bet o
er for drinking that called for an
'ther and got it; but the boy refused a
o take the glass l offered him. 81
lave had enough" lie said. /
rrT h1 l.,