The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-12-29

dren sang all the sweet verses that they
had heard often before at home. And
when they stopped, voice downstairs
cried "A merry Christmas, brave little
ones. Nothing shall dismay us, and /,
for one, will start for the Spanish col
ony as soon as it is light And I!
and / y came from other rooms. And
so, helped by the little children, they
started off.
"Three of the men stayed, and all the
women; and when they were gone those
that were left felt very sad, because il
was hard journey through the snow
and the wild forest. In the middle OF
the day the children were playing to-
gether in the room upstairs, where the
muskets were kept in rack; and pres
emily Roland heard strange rubbing
and shifting at the side of the house un-
der them. He looked out of the window,
and saw that the gate of the stockade
was open, and that there were tracks in
the snow that he knew very well. II
wasn't Indians; but it was a big, black
bear. Roland knew if he could oEly kill
that bear they would have meat for some
| time and he determined to try to kill il
himself, because he was afraid ii he ran
to call one of the men that the bear
would 60 away. He didn't dare to fire
without telling Eleanor what it was, for
she was in constant terror of Indians
80 he whispered to her softly thet he
was going to try to shoot bear, and
then he very softly pulled plug out of
one of the holes in the floor, and, look
ing through, saw the bear just under
meath. Very quickly and very softly he
took a gun from the rack, where they
always stood loaded, aad put it carefully
into the hole; but, in spite of all his
care, he made little noise, and Master
Bruin looked up just as Roland pulled
the trigger. AS it happened, nearly the
whole charge went into his eye, and
with one long, horrible howl, the bear
dropped dead, and the snow round him
was covered with blood.
"Such fright as the garrison had
The men drew their pistols and ran for
their guns, not knowing what had hap
pened. The women ran to find the
children; and there stood Roland, as
proud as king, with such color in his
pale cheeks as hadn't been seen for many
day. How they praised and petted
him I could never tell you, nor of how
they enjoyed their famous dinner of
bear. steak; for one would have to be as
hungry as they were to know how they
did enjoy it. Best of all, that very
night, the men who had gone to the
other colony came back safe and sound,
with plenty of provisions for the cold
months before them. They had met
messengers coming TO them on the way,
and 80 it was right merry Christmas,
after all. Such capital rug as that
bear-skin made for the children to lie
on by the fire, and it was always called
Roland's bear"
"There," said the elf, folding his
arms and twinkling his bright little
Splendid" said May. "How / wish
/ could have given 'em some Of these
oranges, too. I've got such lot. But
what became of 'em2 Did they ever go
back to Englanda"
"No, they never did. They grew to
love the old Garrison House and to feel
that it was home and by-and-by others
were built, and there was colony. And
both Eleanor and Roland grew up and
married and died, leaving ever 80 many
children and grandchildren. And, come
to think of it," added the elf, thought
fully, "it was two of Roland's grand
children who squabbled so this morn
ing ; and You, Miss May, are very like
your grandmother Eleanor, with ever so
many greats before il"
"Was she my grandmother 2" said May,
opening her eyes very wide.
Your very own. Way back, to be
sure but still yours" said the elf.
"And the old house, did it fall down
or burn down 2"
"Not bit of it. There it stands to
this very day ; very old and decayed
outside, but with the logs almost as sound
and true IS when they were laid more
than 200 years ago. And you may see
for yourself if you ever go to York, in
Maine"
"But I never SHALL" said May. "l
can't get up."
"Weu see," said the elf. And he
passed his hand to the back of her head,
and it felt cold ON her neck. He mum
bled something to himself, gave funny
little sniff, and was gone, crying: "Good
by, till next year"
But as he stood for minute, looking
in her face. hair began to grow on it,
and he grew bigger and bigger, and his
eyes grew bigger, too, and his mouth
disappeared, and his nose grew out to
be-that OF the most cunning Scotch
terrier that was ever born. May gazed
at him, rubbed her eyes, said, "Oh
thank you, sir !" and opened them wide
to see her mother standing beside her.
laughing.
"Ohl how you jumped when he put
his cold nose on your neck. See what 6
present you have to-day. John, the
stablenan sent il to you"
"Oh dear doggie," said May. ''Bu
it was the Bell Sprite, mother. Anc
why are you home now3"
Mrs. Johnson didn't need me, after
all. SO here we are, to eat our Christ
mas dinner together"
"And fairy came and told me love
ly story, mother" said May.
did it Tell il to me, after dinner.
Now, that was kind of mother wortl
having. She never made fun of fairies
It's really astonishing how much some
people don't know, and how they dom
believe in fairies or elves. II they die
believe in them, the fairies would tel
them stories, too. And they never viii