The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-12-20
Ill.

Ill
The first broad, rosy flush of mild
and sunny Christmas day had scarcely
appeared in the east, when the mem
bers of the Lane family left their beds,
kindled the fires in the dusky rooms,
and entered upon the duties of the day.
1t was their old habit; Jerry looked af-
ter the stock, one daughter MIXED the
cows while the other prepared break
fast, and old Gideon Lane, now man
of 20, enjoyed half an hour of comfort
able idleness in his hickory armchair in
the sitting-room. 1t was Susan's turn
to milk; but when the time came she
begged Lydia Maria to take her place.
She had not slept well, and was suffer
ing from q slight headache, she said
which was, indeed, the exact truth; for
during the night she had risen from her
bed, opened the back-door and admit
ted two men, who bore bulky object
to the parlor, where it was silently de-
posted. The key of the room was in
Susan's pocket; everything was safe, so
far; but the fear of being detected dur
ing the act, and the sleeplessness which
followed, had taken away little of her
robust strength. If she had APP
peared too flushed the previous day,
she was too pale now; and Lydia
Maria tried to remember whether this
was another symptom of the typhus.
AS the red of the dawn frightened
into clear gold, and the clumps of bare
ash and maple trees along the edges of
the meadow began to detach themselves
from the dark, formless mass of the
landscape, Jeremiah stood at the stable
door. Looking at the sky, he remarked
to himself that it was going to be a beau
tiful day; the cold, sweet air touched
his palate and suggested, beyond the
coming breakfast, the cheer of the later
dinner; he felt glad that it was Christ
mas. His proposal, the afternoon be-
fore, although postponed by Lydia Ma
ria's elder authority, nevertheless salts
fled his sense of justice; Susan hence
forth should not always give them the
holiday, but they would take turns in
worked slowly, and with many variations
hither and thither; but it generally fell
into the right groove at last.
He threw open the door and entered
the stable. He first put his hand, ac-
cording to old habit, upon the back of
Harry, the near plow-horse; but, surely,
that was not Harry's back? 1t was
nearly hand higher, and the hide had
a different quality. Utterly bewil-
dered, he groped his way, in
the dark stable, to the head of the
the stiff, smooth leather
betrayed, to his touch, new halter.
H , united the rein, led the horse-more
by instinct than by reasoning-out of
the stable, and, 10! there was a new
creature, stalwart, strong-limbed bay,
with large, intelligent eyes! jeremiah
was so astounded at this phenomenon
that he stood dumb, thunder-struck.
The horse shifted at him curiously, and |
then he first noticed piece of paper
to the headstall. He tore it
off, and read these words, in large,
unknown hand: "My name
is Bob; belong to Jeremiah Lane!"
What Jeremiah said, must not be
written. The words were forced out of
him by surprise, but they had profane
rather than a pious sound. He meant
no harm by them-quite the reverse; he
was awkward in the use of interjections,
because so many of them were prohibit
ed by the custom of the neighborhood.
[ have no doubt that he did the best he
could, under the circumstances, and the
Recording Angel, instead of blotting it
out with tear, did not even think it
necessary to write it down.
Jeremiah was aroused out of his stu
por by piercing scream from Lydia
Maria. This was thing which had not
happened for many years, and it came
upon him Gas he afterward said "hke
streak o. lightning"
"Jerryl-oh, Jerry, do come herei'