The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-01-27

for another and got it, but the boy re-
fused the glass | offered him. " have
had enough" he said. .
We were going out, when the landlord
! opened the door before us. Looking out
into the storm, he asked incredulously;
care you going ONT"
"Yes!" said the boy, F" was told to
drive this gentleman TO Hum tonight,
and Pm going TO do It," as,
"If you get there at all, it will he
night sure enough" the landlord said.
az will get there all the same" was
the boys reply. ,
LET us stop here tonight" ! Raidi
tive can 20 on in the morning"
81 would rather take you ON, sir.
There's no danger. ! can't put my
horse up here, and my master would kill
me if any thing happened to him., =,
That decided me to 60 on BESIDES,
did not care 10 talk. ! was beginning to
feel cold again standing in the wind,
1t was 8 o'clock now, the light / n the
west growing DINNER and dimmcr-t
| blooms Of the mountains and tho bare
wood coming nearer to IA, making their
meaning felt in our souls, filling mine
! nth an awful dread uf the snow-c0yered
road beyond. Ten miles TO go yet, the
night coming quickly on, the cold grow
ing more intense, the road roughcr, more
| PERCEPTIONS, the horse evidently giving
/ out :, But the boy took up the lines,
the bright, frank smile upon his face, the
CHEEKY word upon his tongue. Good
hyc," be said, to the man in the door
way.
The man stood for an instant in the
doorway looking after rs. "Good-byc,
he said.
We went on along the road that from
the beginning of time it was ordained
We were to 60, | crcpt back into my
corner,
"Do not 90 to Sleep the pleasant
voice warned me from the front.
"Thank YOU" replied, chcercd and
warmed by its hearty glow, 81 will not
20 to sleep"
Then followed a long silence, in which
I had views of the falling snow, the
white hills above us, the white hills still
below us, in which | heard sounds from
cracking, grooming branches, from the
wind sweeping sayagely past ny. Then
u%nconqucrabIc drowsincss, fast coming
darkncss-thcn night.
felt a hand on my face, then on my
shoulder, shaking me roughly n sweet
cheering voice in my ears, calling me back
to life,
"If you 90 to sleep now, you won't
wake up again" it said.
woke with Il sudden start, for an in
slant, to u full consciousness Of time and
| place. was not cold, only sleepy. 81
am quite awake" | replied. "Have we
far to gOY' 800.
give miles, and the voice was still
the same CHEEKY voice that had heard
from the first. He spoke to mo often af-
ter that; then saw hima IA inadrcam, fix
ING a blanket that he had taken from the
horses back, to the hickory bows over
head, to keep the NOW from driving in
upon me, for | was covered with it to
my knees. As God is my judge | did not
then clearly know what he was doing, or
would have stopped him. I did not
feel cold, though / knew aftcward that |
was then freezing, and | did not think he
was cold. | did not think at all. | was
far past that. | had begun a longer
Journey than | had started upon.
In that longer 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 distinctncss, eve
are lost" ! was conscious that the child
who said it had thrown herself into my
arms, and WAS lying there q dull heavy
weight. But aside from the cry it was
all bright and pleasant-thi real, terri
bic Journey through the snow, over the
rough dangerous mountain road, in that
far off December. The dream lasted n
long while, through all that night, and
the day following and the night following
that.
When I awOke from it | was in a large
room, which | had never seen before.
There were piles Of the soltest blankets
upon me, there was a great wood fire
blazing on the hearth, and | had never
felt 50 warm and comfortable in all my
life. There were two strangers in the
room, a man and u woman, whose faces
were kindly ones, hut sorcly troubled,
When | stirred, and they saw | recog,
nizcd them, they came and stood by my
bed.
"Whcrc am T." ! asked of them.
"At Hum, in the house of the Metho'
dist minister"
GLOW long have ! been hercy'
Since night before last. You came
in the stage, and the horse stopped be
fore our door," the man said.
"What day is this?'
cit is Christmas day. the woman re
piled, taking my hand in hers.
81 have been i'll, then"
"Ycsr"
"1hcrc was a boy brought me here
" here is he?
ole is here too" The voice that sale
il was husky with tears, and the hanc
that held mine shook.
ale has been i'll, too"
"Ycsr'
as he better nOw"'
"He was never 80 well. He will ncvel
be i'll again."
| looked into the face of the woman
who said this, and | saw that her eye
were red with weeping.
| d~isengaged the hand she held. an'
turned my face TO the wall.
The woman laid her hand upon m.
arm.
"You must not feel like that. II |
better 80. lie had only M friend, an
he is with him this beautiful Christina
morning. He had no home here. 1t
, Christmas day, and he is at home there.
|, / took in mine the comforting ham
: that lay upon my arm. ..
' 81 would like to see him." | said. al