The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-12-25

or comfort.
The hard northern winter came on
apace. All the little brooks froze tight,
the tender green of the larches and vii.
lows had given way to red and gold,
and at last there was no color or sub.
stance left them but their skeleton
branches against leaden sky. The
snow came down in whirling drifts, and
day in, day out, the clock licked the dole.
full refrain. I got out some patchwork,
but put it away again-for who would
inherit my handiwork ?-and made up
nv mind we'd have no Christmas dainties
that year to stare us dolefully out o1
countenance. Poor Chloe was getting
dyspeptic already with overfeeding, and
even her wool didn't tighten up in the
old vigorous way.
It was the third day before Christmas,
when 6 storm set in OF hail and snow and
sleet, 80 that it was all we could do to
get the dumb creatures about the place
housed and fed. When all was done, ]
set the logs to blazing upon the hearth,
and happily kept a warm drink in the
ashes for Chloe, who was still fussine
about the kitchen. The wind roared
around the house, swinging the branches
of the trees against the weather. board.
ing and said T, "Hulda, God save any
poor creatures at the mercy of this storm
tonight !"
"Amen I" said Hulda.
At that moment We both heard some.
thing like human voice strained to the
utmost, and Hulda started to her feet.
"Be quiet, Hulda," said, myself far
from easy "it's only the shrieking Of
the wind"
But again we heard the voice, and
again We heard my name. Preached for
nv cloak and hat, and buckled on my
rubbers, while Hulda stood trembling
by, when suddenly the door few open,
and great gust of storm and sleet came
pelting in, driving before it a man and
some young children he was huddllng
before him like sheep in tempest.
They were blinded with the storm and
half frozen, but the boy dragged his sis-
ter by the hand, and poor Bob held the
Youngest child in his arms.
"Don't you US, Aunt Mag?" said the
little fellow. "I'm Bob, you know.
The wagon all broke down, and we're
Jolly glad to get ho-ome." Here the
little man began to cry, for his brave
heart was over burdened, and the child
in Bob's arms took up the refrain. Bob
himself was white as the snow outside,
and seemed dazed and bewildered
"See here, Mag" he stammered out,
1--WE brought the children to you to
board for awhile. Everything's at skies
and sevens in the city; Marley 4
Brothers have gone to smash; but I'll
get something in the way of clerkship
again, and pay the children's board, you
know; they sban't be burden to You,
Mag"
A burden It didn't seem much like
burden. Such glad commotion as
those little ones created, Hulda and
Chloe putting dry clothes on them, and
tricking them out as if for baby mas.
querade. The hot posset was poured
down their little throats, and bounti.
full supper was given them of hot milk
and buns.
"There'l be something grand for
breakfast, I said, looking upon them as
greedily as ever poor Marley did upon
Hulda. How the old kitchen echoed
with their romps and capers They
were all handsome, every one Of them,
with Bob's fine make and build, and
beautiful eyes like their pretty dead
mothers.
:'Bob," said, choking yearningly
over the thought, eff you'll give them
to me, the whole three, I'll spend my
whole life in making them happy and
after I'm gone, they shall have the
homestead and every penny I've got in
the world"
"Yes, yes," said Bob, who had never
ceased shivering, and was now as hot
and red as he had been white and cold,
"I'll pay their board, Magda this is
only temporary trouble. Ihope to gel
clerkship, quite lucrative clerkship
but little Bob will never get through
the storm-neverl Keep hold of your
sister, Bob," cried my poor brother, in
loud voice, "and keep the tail of my
coat firm in your other hand don't lei
60, my son, for Gods sake, Bobby
don't let gol"
He got upon his feet, and seemed to
be plodding through the storm, and as
he made his way to the kitchen door ]
coaxed him on up to bed in his own old
room, that had kept aired and com.
Portable to Tighten my own aching heart.
When the morning dawned and the doc.
tor could get to us, poor Bob was wild
} in delirium; the only words he muttered
or called aloud were about bonds and
bills, dollars and fractions of dollars.
His long white fingers seemed to hold q
pen, and scratch, scratch the weary fig.
; ures upon the counterpane till my eyes
and brain nched for very pity.
For two wretched days and nights he
struggled with this sordid misery, the
fiend of commercial fret and disaste,
never letting go his grip; but Christmas
morning dawned clear and bright, and
before the eastern sky had quite lost it's
, glory Bob fell into deep, untroubled
sleep. How white and wan he looked
, How thin and bloodless were the once
, busy fingers that now lay limp and still
At noon-time the sky was all one blaze
; of cloudless sunny blue, and to keep the
| room dark I strove to fasten an e1tra
shawl over the window. Suddenly
heard Bob whis pering my name in such
strange voice that I got down quickly
! and went over to the bedside, and was
: puzzled to hear low laugh from hiE
, trembling lips.
, "Say Mag" he whispered, "don't
let mother know. I crept in through
the window, and left some of my pants
on the gooseberry bushes below you'll
patch 'em up, won't you, Mag? And
: keep mum aboutit. Such lark as We
hid last night Dave Devine and
, painted the deacon's horse white an6
red but keep mum, Mag-not WORD
for your life! p
| I kept mum. God knows couldn't
} speak. I had got my boy Bob bach
J again, but there was sore tugging Al
my heart-strings. The doctor came anc
! fingered long, then he turned to me-
J "My work is DONE" he said. 81 wal
/ afraid from the first it would be useless
} a higher and better work has begun
There is some one down stairs-a stran
) ger in these parts, but no stranger te
} you or me, or this dear lad lying here
T wouldn't like to bring anew faot
among yon just now, but this one VIII
!: do. Bob, he said, leaning over my
snrnr z 6rrk1,av ts yea5 ,ayns. L. - -;