The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-12-24

taken from the a5rsc's back. 10 Il .
hickory bows overhead, 90 keep the
snow frcm driving in upon me. for
was covered with il Ia my knees. A.
Goal Is my judge did not then clearly
know what he Was doing, or | would
have stopped him | did not feel cold.
though knew aftcrward that was then
freezing. and did not think he was
cold. dill not think AZ all. 1 was far
past that. had begun a longer
journey than had started upon.
In that lenger journey | dreamed Of
home, Of the wondrous Christmas mira
Gle. the lighted tree; Of the glad faces
Of children. whose voices | heard.
heard one Of them repeat two or three
times, with startling distinctness. Eve
are lost | WAS conscious that the
child who said il had thrown herself in
Ia my arms. and was living there dull.
heavy weight. But aside from the cry
il was all bright and pleasant this real,
terrible Journey through the snow, over
the rough dangerous mountain road, in
that far of December. The dream
lasted long while. through all that
night, and the day following and the
night following that.
When | awoke from IL was in large
room, which had never seen before.
There were piles of the sofiest blankets
upon me, there was great wood fire
blazing on the hearth. and had never
felt 50 warm and comfortable in all nv
life. There were two strangers in the
room, = man and A woman. whose faces
were kindly ones. but sorely troubled.
When stirred. and they saw recog-
nized them, they came and stood by my
bed.
"Where am To- asked If them
.'At Ilium, in the house Of the Metho-
dist minister
How long have | been here?n
:. Since night before last You came
in the stage. and the horse stopped be
fore our door" the man said.
What day i this2''
lit i Christmas day. the woman
replied. taking my hand in hers.
:" | have been i'll, then?"
Yes -
There was = boy brought me here.
" here j. he?''
:. He j. here. too The voice that
said il was husky with tears, and the
hand that held mine shook
Il Has he been i'll, too"
"YeSir
s'Is he better now?''
- lie was never 30 well He viii
never be III again
looked into the face ~ the woman
W no said this, and saw that her ewes
were red with weeping.
/ disengaged the hand she held. and
turned my face 10 the wall.
The woman laid her hand upon LIZ
arm.
"You must not feel like that II i
better SO. He had only one friend, and
he Is with Him this beautiful Christmas
morning He had no home here. II j.
Christmas day. and he Is at homethere. =
took in mine the comforting hand
that lay upon my arm
81 would like 10 see him, said
ale gave his life for me-"
They took me down afte-ward 20 what
had been the family sitting-rOom. There
were warm, red curtains at the win
dOws; a bright, glowing carpet on the
floor. there were punches II holly and
laurel scattered here and there, and
over all was the atmosphere of home.
They left me At the door. | went in
and stood By the side II the couch on
which they had laid him. The eyes Of
tender blue were closed forever. and the
yellow hair Was parted over bis boyish
brows. and still about the brave, sweet
mouth the bright smile played as il did
AT that first moment If our meeting.
when my implied doubt Of him called
il there lie lay before me dead, in all
the glow and promise of his youth.
But the smile, which triumphed above
deaths ruin. rebuked me. and as
stopped to kiss the lips Of the beautiful
boy. knew, a well a man could know,
that he was not dead that He who had
given more life 10 the dead Girl and the
widows son had given il also to him;
and that he had only gone farther upon
his Journey than Into sweeier. full
er, more gracious life than be had ever
known. And | also knew that should
see him again il but made my own life
as brave. unselfish. and true as his had
been. ~ ScriJHer's Monthly.
A Christmas King.