The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-01-14

all the while he was eating his dinner
Kidding his potato in one hand and grasp
ing his newly-acqu treasure in the
fothers When the meal was over and his
grandmother was busy putting away the
fragments he took to his little heels and
ran across the court to Biddy's part. .
Poor Biddy looked up with fearful
eyes. %"
q loot ache now ?'' inquired, Mikey.
cts stoppin',' - replied Biddy, soberly,
There are Glove in it.
"See my Christmas, Biddy."
81 She looked admiringly. NA -
+" Come. out Until the court, Biddy.
Well have a percession. Pretind its ban
ners."
I" But / have none," whined Biddy.
| Mikey broke his bOugh in two, scat
/ tering bits of wood and kernels of corn as
he did so. To arrange the two " ban
ners" gracefully was work of time, but
the children did it, or thought they lid
il, at last.
The percession' had been in motion
hardly five minutes when it was uncere-
moniously ordered to halt.
"Stand still there! What do you call
that? \ string of snOw-fakes? Give us
one, won't your"
terrified.
ooh, Frank. Come here moment" )"
Frank came, a merry-faced boy, with
clear gray eyes.
"What is ii, ToM?'
"Just look at those little rats. They've
a whole string of snOw-fakes and they
won't give a fellow one"
"Nonsense!" laughed Frank. Let
'em alone"
"It's my Christmas" faltered little
Mikey.
"YOur what ?"
"My Christmas"
Je-rusalem!" exclaimed Tom, think
ing of the stately evergreen, at which he
had managed to get peep in his parlor
at home.
"Don'tyou getany presents?" inquired
Frank, kindly.
''Tm to get new coat" spoke up
Biddv. ITS maxim out Of Iady's
dress-good an warm, wild quiltin' in it"
Alas. there was need Of it, poor little
Biddy
"Iim to have some shoes-some time,"
said Mikey.
The gray eyes looked little less clear.
Something dimmed them.
For moment Frank seemed lost in
thought; then he suddenly pulled from
his pocket a small rule.
"Put your foot on this" said he to
Mikcy. 1t won't hurt you (seeing that
the child hesitated). Just for minute.
Gomez"
Mikey did so, wonderingly, and Frank,
after examining it carefully, put the rule
in his pocket again, and the boys walked
off.
'What are you going to do now,
Frank" inquired Tom.
u can't stand it, Tom" replied Mark,
earnestly. "Here am great man al
most, with everything | want. And just
think of those little chaps! 1t makes
fellow feel mean, somehow. Father gave
me five dollars yesterday. 1t was to go
toward my printing-press; but that young
ster shall have some new shoes to-day or
my names not Frank Wellington"
Tom made no reply. He also had a
little money, which had been given him
to spend as he pleased. and he had no
ticed what seemed to have escaped the
sharpeves ofhis brother, viz: thrt Biddy's
brown locks were struggling through the
many lOOp-holes in her worn-out hood.
Do girls heads have to be measured? ?
he inquired at length.
ooh, nothing" replied Tom, carelessly.
Half an hour afterward the boys stood
again at the entrance Of the court The
children were still there but the trees"
were stripped. Most of the corn had
found its way into the two little red
mouths. which were even now quite full.
Bring those what-dO-YOu-call- -'ems
here" called frank. Both of you"
But the ''what-dO-you-call- ems" didn't
move, 50 the boys went to them Hastily
snatching the ''banners" from the be
wildered children, they proceeded to tie
thereon some queer-lOOking packages
one suspiciousIy like doll another like
horse, besides a couple Of well-hlled
horns, the contents of which, Of course,
nobody could guess, and two larger
bundles, which were reserved for the last. |
They had fastened them all on securely, |
as they thought, when snap, snap, went
the withered old branches. sending the
packages igrominiOusly to the ground, |
where they lay surrounded by broken
twigs and scraps of wood.
Mikey gave one cry. 1t brought Gran |
ny Welch quickly to the spot. Her
capborder seemed fairly to dance and
her little black eyes to flash fire as she
caught sight of the boys.
"An' It's We, Frank Willin' ton-ye
an yer brither-as couldn't let a poor
by play wild few rotten sticks unmer-
listed. It's little enough he has, thin
he nor Biddy nayther Be off wild yees,"
she added, fiercely, raising her voice
" Go home wild yees, now, or Pll-IIl
The boys didn't wait until the SEN
tence was finished They walked away
without word.
They were sober and thoughtful that
evening. The mother wondered what
had come over her fun-lOving lads; but
she waited patiently for a solution of the
mystery.
At eight o'clock came a furious pull
at the dOor-bell.
ITS old Mrs Welch and she wants to
see you boys both of you," said the
father, halfanxiously. b" You haven't
been up to any mischief to-day, have
YOU ?"
+" No. sir, replied Tom, meeklv, while
Frank colored up to the roots of his hair.
They looked like a couple of culprits
as they went into the hall, where sat
Granny Welch wringing her wrinkled
hands.
" God forgive me for wrongin' yees,"
whin seen the shoes foreninst me on
the ground l had like to faint An
Biddy's hoods an illigant fit; an she an
Mikey's that pleased wild the candy an
the t'ys they can do nothin' intirely but
list turn 'em over an over an laugh
like pair OF babies. An Mrs McLaugh-
lin (she's babe wild the measles, an she
can't leave the night, she sinds We her
bist thanks an respects, and may We
niver want for Christmas gift"
Frank and Tom looked at each other.
Neither spoke.
" Folks get that tired of woTkin' an
scrapin' that they gets hard times" con-
tinued Granny Welch, plaintively. An,
We secs, -didn't siBse it at all Yen
forgive me, won't yees, now ,"
"Oh that was nothing" stammered
Frank
I'VE don't care Il fig about it." added
Tom, magnanimously.
Thank We. God bless yees both.