Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-12-28

must come with Grandma to meet me
at the Station, Christmas Eve. With
ever so many kisses. Papa.
Taffy listened as intently as if he
had never heard word of it before,
and as soon as it was though demand
ed a second reading of it.
Jane was obstinate.
well, read on the outside, then.
You didn't read that
s'Tafy White, ESQ., That's all.
Now dom plague me any longer. Run
out, like good boy
But Taffy knew his power too we'll
to be got off so easily, and it required
the combined bribe OF two Balwin APP
Piles, stem of raisins, doughnut,
and two figs to get him into the back
Kitchen, where Silas was boiling pota-
toes for the pigs. Here for ten min
utes he watched the kettle and ques-
toned Silas and then getting rest
less, insisted upon being let out into
the dooryard again.
Now don't you 60 fussin' with the
ak, said Silas, as he lifted him down
the slippery steps. Il knowed little
boy once, bout as big as you be, It
cut all the toes on one foot clean
off, jest playin with his fathers ak.
The ak had been Taffy's objective
point; but this bloody precedent,
manufactured out of whole cloth on
the instant by the ingeious Silas rather
staggered him, and he turned his at
tent;on in an other direction.
4 shall skate some on my little
sled, then,' he said in a disappointed
tone.
SWELL, skate away returned Silas,
only don't get under the horses
feet in the road. Why don't we go up
back of the house, an slide down hill?
would if | was you. The wind
cuts awfully, down in the road, and
ye'll freeze to death in ten min
utes.'
This advice which was given with
chattering teeth, which was lost on
Taffy, who dragged his sled into and
along the road, while SiIas retired to
his warm quarters in the back kitchen.
Hardly had the door closed upon him.
when with a prodigious jingling of
bells, a big double sleigh dashed
along the road past the house, toward
the village, scarcely mile away. Had
Taffy been a size smaller, or had not
the driver been looking directly at
him, he might not have been seen,
and the horses might have gone over
him before he knew they were there.
AS it was, the team was pulled up
Just in time.
Halo, Taffy ? shouted one of the
party. aren't you getting lost :?
Jump in and have ride. We're COM
ing right back
Taffy was only too willing.
Let me tie your sled on behind
said the driver, one of the neighbours
boys and a great friend of Taffy's.
'We're just going to the store after
some cooking things, and the folks
won't know you're gone till you get
back
So the sleigh skinned along the
ground after the horses, till the Will
age store was reached and the boys
got out.
You'd better stay in the sleigh,
Taffy,' said one of the boys, the larg-
est 'We shan't be more than ten min.
utes, for the women folks are 10 an
awful hurry for their stuff
Five minutes passed. 1t seemed a
long time to Taffy. He tried to crack
the whip; but it was to long and
heavy and every attempt was meian
choly failure. He stood upon the
seat. Then formed the idea of climb
ing upon the horses back. Whether
he would have successfully accom-
plished this feat will never be known,
for at that instant the shrill sound
of the approaching train struck his
ear.
Its the cars said Taffy to himself,
Nobody never let's me see the cars,
much as | want to 1; Gran'pa Was
bun always pulls my hand so when
they go by
In an instant he was ont of the
sleigh, and going as fast as his little
legs would carry him to the station,
which was hard by. When the train
rolled up to the platform, Taffy was
there awaiting it and hardly had it
stopped before he was on the steps of
the rear car.
'I'll Just peek n he thought,
sGran'pa Was'bun won't let me see
anything, ever
The brakeman opened the door for
him and closed it behind him, and
the next instant the train was off
again.
Taffy wasn't frightened Far from
it. He clambered into seat by the
side of fat old lady and looked
around him very composedly.
And now, while he was sitting
there, trundliDg away from home at the
rate of twenty miles an hour, we will
seize the opportunity to tell the read
err who TafFy was. In the first place
his name wasn't Taffy at all only
plain Johnny. A fancied likeness
to the picture in Mother Goose of
the legendary Welshman gave him
the name, while he was yet in arms,
and it stuck to him. Taffy's mother
died before he was two years old, and
he was left in the care of his grand
mother, who spoiled hin, pretty much
as all grandmothers spoil their child
ren's children, when the opportunity
is given them. His father, unsettled
by his lost, went to Australia, and
afterward to California and now,
two years. absence, was on his way
back again He was, according to
his letter, TO reach home on Christ
mas Eve, and here was Christmas
Eve coming on as fact as the hands of
the clock could scramble round
the dial plate.
By and by the conductor came
along. "Where are you going my
little man 2