The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-01

him on his old, weak legs. He scrambled
to the sill and looked eagerly out into
the dark moonlight.
But he might have peered with the
strong eyes of the man in the fairy story,
and he could have seen nothing but the
old oak trees and the frozen creek that
glittered SO coldly in the moonlight.
Old Tickleby's eyes could scarcely see
these, they were SO weak, and when ne
had pushed the door to and sat down,
thoroughly chilled, the tears were stand
ing in those kind old eyes and running
down off the end of his very thin nose.
He pulled out his old red handkerchief
and wiped them, and then he stirred the
dying embers of the two knotty sticks
and coaxed them into blaze. Then he
huddled his thin old legs up and rubbed
his hands briskly over his knees.
The wind sighed again, but he merely
raised his head and looked thoughtfully
over his shoulder. But he again looked IN
the closet, and, on second consideration,
arose and closed the door and set chair
against it.
Once more he drew the paper from his
| pocket and gazed anxiously at it. Then
he replaced it.
Old Tickleby got up from his seat and
turned down the covering Of his lounge
that stood SO stitily in the corner, more
| like bier than couch. Next he came
| back to the fire, and, kneeling by his
| 10 nd nA in
was but the simple Lords Prayer, but
the innate goodness of the old mans
heart was well attested by the addition
of blessing he craved for all the world;
the faint romance in the old mans life
was family Swallowed forth in an allu-
sion to the unjust enmity of brother
and prayer for his enlightenment and
happiness.
| Scarcely romance; yet sad story OF
Old Peters life. A story of the rivalry
of two brothers; their earnest efforts at
the school; The gradual triumph Of the
| younger, Peter, and the deadly hate OF
| elder brother. Then, as the youths grew
| in age and stature, the breach widened,
until Peter openly offended his brother.
A bitter struggle ensued, and then they
parted, and for twenty years no wsrd
| passed between the two-the deadly
| hatred of one refusing reconciliation;
the gentle pride of the other fearing to
propose it. As age grew on apace it
| became a great hope of Old Peters that
all the misunderstanding of lifetime
would be swept away, and that he might
take his brother kindlxby the hand ere
he died.
+; Old Tickleby stood for while gazing
upon the Pickering fire, with, perhaps,
some sad thoughts of his life in his mind,
and then economically seized the brands
and extinguished the cmbers in the ash
es, laying the unburned portion aside for
use tomorrow.
| He got into bed with his clothes on, for
his other covering was scant, and cud-
died his knees up almost to his chin in a
vain endeavor to get warm. The wind
rushed in the cracks, and scampered
around the room, and surged up into the
fireplace, and at last made dash at
| Olu clCI. 1t SlOOh luC OlI COuuttI-
pane and Tapped the old brown blanket,
and dived under the clothes after Old
Peter. And then out again and quiet.
Old Tickleby, however, wouldn't mind
1.-THE had some other occupation-he
was bordering and conjecturing and i'm
agining and doing other foolish things
about that letter.
What if that letter-that very same
red letter-contained an offer Of situa-
ton, and profitable situation at that!
He stopped at this, for he was guilty of
secret pride in his attachments and ca
pacity. Poor old man, he never thought
of his failing age. What if he was called
to the charge of good school, and then
Old Peter just thought what kind of a
school he aoould like. And how he'd
teach; and how he'd discipline; how he'd
rule by love, and make all his pupils love
and respect him. Oh! how happy he
would be,
And then there would be no more
want; no more freezing; no more empty
stomach; no more agony Of thought; no
more loneliness; no more despair
With this picture bright upon his
mind Old Peter actually fell into doze
Then as he grew warmer it deepened
into sleep; and he smiled.
All this time the wind had been quiet /;
in fact, it had crept away altogether.
But when the old man slept peacefully it
| in in nd
and away. Away over the frozen creek,
whistling through the oak roots, rushing
under the great bridge, and past the hum
bic church, without SO much as a greet
ing to the tower.
1t was near midnight, and an unmistak-
able sound sleep was on Old Tickleby
Then coming stealthily up the little
gorge; slipping noiselessly under the
branches of the trees, and then, stopping
full in the front Of the door, was the
Wind. And with it was Something else.
And then they crept slyly around the old
cabin, and then they stopped and list
ened; but, bless you! old Peter never
snored. His sleep was as sound as log
and then the wind and its silent COM
panion crept through the door and the
crevice, and stepped.
Old Peter was sound asleep-they
could see it. The wind chuckled, almost
shouted with glee, and raced around the
room, shaking the door, rafting the win
dow, and stirring the dead ashes. And
then the two companions divcd into the
bed; and oh how they hustled Old
Peter. They tore the scant covering
from his face and bcheld his smile-and
a silence deep fell on them. Then the
wind, in shame, sighed through the door
that it had shaken wide open, and silent
ly and stealthily the fell companion
strobe over the crazy threshold, nor cast
one look back.
Behold! at the very doorstep stood a
great white steed, which l almost would
have sworn was snow-drift, and
mounting this off it rushed.
And Old Peter Tickleby still smiled.
The morning dawned; it was clear and
cold. Soon the sun peeped cautiously
over the horizon, and then mounting the
tree-tops shot its warm rays conciliating-
ly over the wide common, now covered
with mantle of crisp snow They gilt
tered in the white-fringed branches of
the trees that stood naked and silent on
the banks; and one rich, clear beam
stole softly through the half-open door
of the old cabin, and played tenderly
| ov,1 81, Al E