The Osceola times., 1875-12-25

tering wand, and laughed gayly, max
ing the talntest, sweetest music, as she
did so, that ever was made. His eyes
were very wide and bright as he
watched her graceful motions from his
low stool by the fire; and suddenly she
was before him; and after courtesying,
she stood on the tips of her dainty icy
slippers to look into his face, and said :
81 am little snowsprite, and if you
will wish wish, l will grant it to you !
Think what you wish the most, kind
little Jack
"But where is the little beggar girl!'
asked Jack, wonderingly.
"Oh, never you mind her" answered
the sprite, laughing merrily. "I'll
take care of her. You were very good,
and did all you could for her. I'll
wait just outside the door while you
are thinking-it is SO warm in here; (;
and when you are ready, just rap upon
the hearth, and, be it ever so lightly,
shall hear you and come
; 1t did not take Jack moment to
think what he wished most and it was
what he knew that his mother wished
most, and that was that his father
might come home again alive and well,
and that the story of the wreck
of the Orient might prove to be all
untrue. So he tapped ever so lightly
on the hearth, and in breath the lit
tie snowsprite was before him again.
81 wish," spoke he, eagerly, "that
my father may come back to us again,
alive and Well"
"And where is your father?' ques-
toned the fmall body.
"Alasp answered the little boy,
sadly, 81 suppose that he is at the bot
tom of the sea-"
81 can not raise the dead, said she,
"and ! wouldn't if | could, but, never
theless, you shall see your father, alive
and well, before tomorrow morning.
And now you may wish another wish,
for this, although it shall be granted,
will not be exactly of my giving, you
know; and while you are wishing, /
will wait just outside the door again,
and when you are ready, just tap as
before"
And Jack was trying to think what |
he should wish, when the voice of his |
mother aroused him, and he found |
that he had been asleep, with his head
still in her lap.
"Come, Jack" said she, "we'll have
"Buf waaif fiil the nrue -p,l.o-,,...---l
back" murmured he, rubbing open his
sleepy eyes, his dream still unbroken.
"The little spriteY" said his mother:
lifting him to his feet "Why, Jack,
you're dreaming
"Oh, mother" said he, now fairly
awake, "and I've had such beauti- |
full dream; and / know by the way |
feel that it will prove reality
And he told his mother all about it,
describing the little snowsprite with
great enthusiasm. And his mother
smiled sadly, never speaking, for she
did not wish to crush her little boys
iovial hope on this Christmas Eve,
though she had not the faintest hope
left in her own breast that her hus-
band would ever return to them.
"Mother," said Jack, I'm going to
wait until father comes before | eat
nv supper; and won't you please wait,
too! Oh, it will be so nice to have sup
per together again"
And he began to dance about the
room, he was so wild with joy. And
whenever the wind ratified the outer
latch, or shook the door, as it whistled
past down the lane, he would start, and
fancy that he heard footsteps, and i'm
agine that some one was surely coming
in at the gate.
But after a while, MS the excitement
of the dream wore away, and he looked
at his mother bending so YEARLY and
sadly over her work, and the clock was
lust on the stroke of nine, he ceased to
listen for footsteps without, and won
dered how he could have given himself
ND so entirely to believe in a foolish
dream. The old house cat purred
drearily and monotonously on the
hearth, and it was very lonely and ST.
lent, and Jack grew as sad as he had
been joyful. -.
The doors were bolted for the night,
and Jack and his mother were prepar-
ing for bed, when the gate-latch did in
deed click, and there were footsteps
upon the crisp snow without. Jack
rushed wildly for the door, and Jack
mother trembled so that she could
hardly stand. She leaned against the
table and listened.
ooh, father," sang Jacks clear joy
full voice, Il knew that you were COM
ing"
And into the room where she stood
steppcd the sailor, and clasped his wife
f. in his arms, and it was certainly
father. alive and well, as Jack had
dreamed on this happy Christmas Eve;
He. with another brave comrade, had
been saved from the wreck of the ORR
ent after floating about until they al,
most died from hunger, and thirst, and
cold, upon some detached spars; and
tbe shin that took them in at last was
bound to foreign port. Then for siA
months after reaching that torelgr
mort he had lain i'll in hospital, tol