The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-12-15


with the easiest cushions, and the
warmest robes, and bels-the merr:-
est bellsl-and the straight young la
dy. And jim McMahoney was there;
and he carried her down stairs to "set"
her. And her mother was there, and
wrapped her all up in an old red shawl,
for Deb had no "things" like other
little girls. The young lady had re.
membered that, and she had brought
the prettiest little white hood that Deb
had ever seen, and Deb's face looked
Ike bruised day-lilly bud between
the shining wool, but Deb could not
see that; ard Mrs. McMahoney was
there, pairing onions at the door, to
wish her good luck; and he little
McMahoneys were there, and all She
children who did wonder, and the gro
Ger turned in at the alley corner, and
the baker stopped as he turned out,
and everybody stood and smiled to
see her start. The white horse paved
the snow, and he held up his head
Deb had never seen such horse-and
the young lady had gathered the reins
into her brown gloves and the sleigh
bells cried for joy-how they cried !
and away they went and Deb was out
of the alley in minute, and the peo-
pie in the alley hurrahed, and hur-
rahed, and hurrahed to see her 60.
That bewildering, beautiful, blessed
ride How warm the little white hood
was? How the cushions sank beneath
her, and the fur robes opened like
feathers to the touch of her poor thin
handsY How the bell sang to the
icicles, and the slated roofs and sky,
and the peoples face smiled at her.
."What's the matter?" asked the
young lady; for Deb drew the great
VOLTS robe over her face and head,
sat so for minute, still and hidden.
The young lady thought she was fright
ened.
"But I only want to cry little ?"
said Deb's little smothered voice. II
must cry little first"
When she had cried little she held
up her head, and the shine of her
pretty white hood grew faint beside
the shine of her eyes and her cheeks
The bewildering, beautiful, blessed
ride!
Streets, and a crowd, and church
spires were in it-yes. and wedding
and funeral, too; all things that
Deb had seen IN her high chair in the
daytime with her eyes shut, she saw in
the sleigh on that ride with her eyes
opened wide.
She was very still. The young lady
did not talk to her, and she did moi
talk to the young lady. The horse
held up his head, 1t seemed to Del
TO be flying. She thought that he
must be like the awful beautiful horse
in Revelation. She felt as if she could
take her to Heaven just as we'll as not
if the young lady's brown gloves
should only pull the rein that way.
They rode and rode. In and out o
the merry streets, through and through
the singing bells, about and about thu
great church spires-all over, and oveI
and over the. laughing town. They
rode to the river, and the young lady
stopped the white Horse so that Del
could look across, and up and down a
the shining stream and the shining
bank.
"There is so much of it," said Deb
softly, thinking Of the crack of it tina
she had seen between two houses fo
fifteen years. For the crack seemed
to her very much like fifteen years il
high chair, and the long, broad
shouldered, silvered river seemed t
her very much like this world abou
which she had wondered.
They rode to the mills, and Del
trembled to look up to their frowninI
walls, and to meet their hundred eyes
but some of the girls who wore the lit
tie pink bows, and who knew her
came nodding to look out of them, ant
she left off trembling to laugh; then
in a minute, she trembled again, fol
all at once, without any warning, tn
great Androscoggin bell pealed th
time Just over her head, and swallowe,
her up in sound. She turned pal
with delighted terror, and then finish
ed with terrified delight.
Did it pray, or cry, or laugh? De
did not know. It seemed to her tina
if the white horse would carry her in
to the great heart of that bell, sh
never need sit in a high chair at
window again, but ride and ride wit
the young lady. 1t seemed to he
like forever and forever.
They turned away from Androscog
gin without speaking, and rode an
rode. Daylight dimmed, and dus
dropped, and see all the town blaze
with lights. They rode and rode I
see the lights. Deb could not speal
fhara ware so many liphts