The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-12-24

that night broke unsteady over his lips
merry Christmas, SIR"
Then it was that Jedd Pallfry turned
and looked at him, and said:
Humph!"
We left Tomtit hoored, literally, at
Chapter III.
The hours went by like shadows, and
he still lay under the charmed influence
of sleep-sleep, the little sprite, from
the land of nowhere, that sits upon tired
eyelids and weighs them down 30 kindly.
Erratic and coquettish Sleep, that will
and won't, and is 80 very like woman
so hard to win, 80 exquisite and true
when won.
Tom lay dreaming of ships, anchors,
and ambergris, of Nantucket, and fish,
and silent fields,
"where calm and deep
The sunshine lieth like golden Sleep
In the midst of this the fire in the
diminutive stove went out; and now
commenced combat between the
warmth of the dreamer's fancy and the
GOODNESS which was gradually taking
possession of the room. The alarm of
conflagration in the next street, the muf-
fled sounds of the engine dragged furi-
ously past the door by men who seemed
like demons red-hot from Pandemoni-
nm, and the jubilant clash of sleigh
bells now and then had failed to move
the sleeper. But the silent, invisible
lips of the Chill-fend were eating into
his slumber, and he dreamed of icicles
His little embrovned hand lost its hold
of the stool, and after one or two invol-
untary turns, he opened his eyes to the
fact that it was growing intensely cold.
1t was in vain that he drew himself
together like turtle; the cold touched
the outer circles of his body, and sleep
deserted him. He spied the velvet pail
on the counter, and i'll moment he had
enveloped himself in its dreadful folds.
But the death cloth warmed him no more
than if he had been dead. In fact, it
threw chill over him, and he seemed
covered with black frost, colder than
the snowy tracery which grew like magic
over the shop windows. He threw the
pail from him as if it had been a pest,
and tried to warm his hands by the Jet
of gas, which burned azure, yellow, and
all colors. But it only aggravated his
GOODNESS.
The idea of freezing to death took
hold of Tom, and out of this grew
strange act. His eyes fell on a coffin
which he thought would hold him COM
fortably. II nearly exhausted his
strength to lay the silk padded box on
the floor. This being done, he settled
himself into it without hesitation, and
once more made a coverlid of the heavy
pail.
Then Tomtit fell asleep again, and
commenced dreaming of dreary oceans
and lonely isles, and fairy lands for
lorn;" of cross bones and eyeless skulls,
church-yards and epitaphs, and God
knows what just then brazen-lipped
sentinel in a neighboring belfry solemn
ly tolled out the hour, and, unseen save
by Gods own eye, high up the steeple,
in the snow, and wind, and sleet,
ghostly finger pointed to the cabalistic
figures XII.
jedi Pallfry was detained ut Spuyten
Duyvel's longer than he anticipated
two hours longer; and the clock struck
twelve as he whirled round the corner,
and brought himself against the wind in
front of his shop. The long tails of
his threadbare overcoat were flying all
ways, and he looked like great, hid
eous owl lost III the night.
When Jedd threw open the door he
started back.
There in the middle of the shop, Just
where the spectral grave sprang up year
ly, lay pall-covered coffin, the gas GO
ing out, and the boy gone The place
seemed chilly and damp like a vault,
and jedi shivered so that the snowflakes
fell from him in every direction like
sparks from a scissor grinders grind
stone. The stiffness in his knees gave
out, and he supported himself against
the counter.
Now one of those changes came over
Jedd Pallfry which happen to us all at
times, and for which philosophy's self
cannot account. With resolute and fear
less steps he approached the coffin and
lifted the pail. The light, which seemed
to brighten up little, fell aslant on
Tom, sleeping. The strange young face,
shaded by tangled curls of nut-brown
hair, and lacking the soft influence of
his closed eyes, was almost wild in it's
beauty; the parted lips seemed ready to
speak, but they moved not; the eye-lids
twitched, but were not lifted; and he lay
a double picture-Life and Death.
Jedd started, but not with fear. He
felt something trembling, throbbing,
warming in his bosom. 1t was only
his heart melting The nature and
humanity of the man had broken their
letters like reeds, and the love which
had lain in trance for dozen years
rose up within him, and would be heard
His heart knew the little stranger in the
coffin, and he bent over him with the
tenderness that belongs to woman.
Nannette !" he said, softly; ooh, so
wonderfully like Nannette's child"
The boy opened his eyes and looked
about him confusedly. He attempted
to rise, but his strength had succumbed
to cold and hunger, and he sank back
with a sickly smile.
I'm so very hungry, sir -
Only speak TO me - cried jedi,
hoarse with emotion; "only say if you
are Nannette's child !"
Nannette, Nannette, said the boy,
dreamily. lis some one calling my
motherl''
The old mon oo;d NOT a ,vord OF tb;o