The Osceola times., 1876-01-22


"Quite sure" and he closed his lips
with snap, as If he knew all about H.
Who owns the stage ?"
81 do" he replied. And | won't
let it go, because the road lies over that
mountain yonder; IL runs close to the
edges of prccipices several hundred feet
high, it is rough and slippery, the snow
is deep now, and getting deeper every
minute, and I don't believe any horse
could pail through it,"
/ thought Of the little children waiting
for me yopder; of their bitter disappoint-
ment il did not come. Then ] said:
al am very anxious to go, and ] am
willing to pay well for being taken"
The landlord leaning over the bar
asked:
"How much? 2"
Itold.him what ! was willing to pay.
"I'll go and get the stage ready" he
said. After all, it was only the higher
price he had been waiting for.
In five minutes the stage was at the
door. II was an ordinary box wagon on
good strong springs, having cotton
cover open in front. The horse was a
half-starved, jaded-looking beast. ] took
all this in as | stood on the porch wait
ing for the driver. Getting impatient
at last, asked:
"Where is the driver ~
The landlord, without speaking, point
cd to an illclad boy standing at the
horses head. looked closely at him.
| lie might he, thought, fifteen years
| old, or he might he not more than ten
His eyes were clear blue, and he, hearing
my question, turned them full upon
mine, frank, boyish smile rebuking the
distrust my words implied, and lighting
up every feature of his delicate face.
His complexion was like that of girl
his mouth small and tender, his hair yel-
low, his figure slight and sinuous.
j looked at him, standing there shiver-
ing with the cold, out through the driv-
ing storm, along the snow-covercd noun
tain road we were to travel together, and
asked: "Arc you not afraid to go!"
The landlord Interrupted:
1t don't matter IL he is a afraid. He
belongs TO me. He shall GO"
No." said; "he shall not 90, il he
is not quite willing"
am not at all afraid" the boy re-
piled, "and am quite willing to 60.
have gone often and often, through worse
storms than this"
There was an earnest, manly grace
even in the way he shook the gathered
flakes from his tattered cap, and in his
voice there was such a hearty, CHEEKY
ring, that from that moment / trusted
and loved the boy.
Jumped into the stage, took the back
seat, drew my great friezc coat close
about my legs, and we drove off from
among the gaping, socty crowd of min
crs into the lonely mountain road into
the cruelest storm of wind and snow
that ! ever saw.
The boy sat on the front scat, waiting
TO I've spoken to, looking straight ahead
When we were quite clear of the strag-
Cling huts Of the miners ON the outer
most limits of the town, / asked him his
name.
"They call me Lewis Shively," he
aid.
"How old are you, Lewis ?" was my
next question.
Fourteen, next April, sir"
"Do you live at home, with your
father and mother?"
"That man yonder is all the father or
mother ! have, and his stable loft is the
only home have had since he took me
from the poor-housc. That was better
than the stable though, for they thought
me something there"
There were no complaining chords in
the tones in which these bitter words
were said, and while he was speaking he
was drawing the whip gently across the
horses back, brushing off the snow that
had fallen on il.
Have you been driving on this road
long ?" inquired.
"Going on three years. 1t will be
three years in March"
"Is IL cold out there? Colder than
here, I mean"
/ think il is" he replied "the wind
and snow cut 80 but ! don't mind, sir!
We get used to tough weather up in
these hills"
al wish you would come in here my
coat will cover us both"
watch the road now. We have to 90
pretty close to the precipices, some
times"
Glow close 80 asked.
Within few inches. I can't see
now five yards ahead, the snow falls so
heavily"
"Do you think it safe, then, to go
ON ?"
"Quite safe, sir =! and / don't mind the
cold" But his teeth chattered as he
said il, and the ruddy glow was all gone
from his cheeks.
did not talk more then. There were,
I discovered, wide cracks in the bottom
of the stage, through which the wind
poured merclessly. was chilled
through to the heart in less than an hour
after starting. | do not know how far
we had gone, or how long we had been
upon the road, when heard the boys
voice, CHEEKY and bright, asking:
How are you now, sir :? Feeling
pretty comfortable, sir 2"
nodded my head, and crept closer in
to the corner. But he WAS wiser than
and would not let me have the sleep COW
eted.
You are in hurry to get home" he
said, for want Of something better to say
with which 10 rouse me.
Yes" replied. Il want 20 he a,
home on Christmas eve"
"The best days ever knew were
Christmases----a good while ago"
He said il rs il he were ever and ever ~
old, and what was saddcst of all, as if he
were done with Christmas forever. told
| him of the tree | was to get, and how