American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-12-20
CHRISTMAS AT MUD FLAT.


Where she came from, why she came,
or who she was, no one could tell. But
she was in camp, and had come to stay,
there was no doubt. She was quiet,
modest, and simply clad-three quail
ties which commended her to the resi-
dents of Mud Flat, as a change from the
ordinary run of females who from time
to time invaded the precincts Of that
classic settlement.
Nor were these the only points that
had been noted by the boys. As Andy
AcCorkle had gallantly handed her
from the lower step of the mud-bespat-
tered coach to the portico of the hotel,
every body saw that she chung almost
convulsively to the little child whose
arms were twined about her neck.
They observed also that her features
were pale and bloodless to an extent
that was almost pitiful By that deli
cate intuition which sometimes exists
under the toughest exteriors, the sturdy
miners of Mud Flat understood that the
strange lady was suffering from mental
as well as physical illness. Their SYM
pathy was aroused in her behalf from
that instant, and every man in the place
immediately constituted himself her
champion and friend
A day later, when she had rented a
cabin near the outskirts of the town,
without disclosing to any one her inten-
tons for the future or her story of the
past, their interest was increased, and
they began to show their friendship in
substantial ways. A great heap of fire.
wood was mysteriously deposited within
easy reach the first night. Bags of flour,
quantities of coffee and sugar, whole
ham, and a quarter of fresh venison
likewise made their appearance from
some unexplained source the third
morning.
Little was seen of the recipient of
these treasures, however. She had only
been on the street once, and then only
to purchase few necessary articles.
Upon that occasion she met the rever-
entail gaze IF a score of loungers, and
turned her head away, pretending not
to see, when the jovial Bill Carter SNUG
gled huge package of candy into the
child's capacious pocket But aside
from that she had remained hidden from
view, and the miners knew as little about
her on the fourth day as they had on the
first.
The 23d of December was unusually
cold, even for that locality. As the
frozen moon came up over a distant
crag, cutting with chilly hands the
dusky gloom, one might have fancied
that he had suddenly been transplanted
into the Arctic regions. The ground
was covered with thin layer of snow.
which glistened like FURNISHED silver in
the pale light. Here and there along
the sides of the gulch, giant pines,
standing like ghostly sentinels, threw
spectral shadows across the white ex-
panse. The roar of Potato Creek,
wrapped in the icy arms of winter, was
subdued to a tiny, muffied trickling.
And the wind, gently signing through
the passes, played Eolian melodies
among needles of pine and tassels of
hemlock.
In the main apartment of the Mag
nolia Saloon, a party of the boys were
sitting around table, upon which
steamed large bowl emitting fragrant
. and aromatic odor.
Whoever she mOught be-" observed
a tall and rather angular parsonage
known to his companions as Long Tom
Rollins" whoever she mought he, she's
alone, barrin' tibet kid, and unprotected
besides. She's sickly, too, and orter
hev doctor. This amt no sort of a
place for a-a-inverlid, he concluded,
hesitatingly, removing his heavy boot
from the table, and helping himself to a
liberal allowance of the punch. Then,
after pause, he continued, +" l wonder
what ais the critter, anyhow"
ga mans at the bottom of it, gentle
men, you hear me,'' observed Judge
Gashwilder from the other side of the
tlble, nodding conviction at each of his
hearers in turn. stake my word for
il, theirs a man i'm it, as Their alters is in
any deviltry as robs some poor woman 5
cheek of its bloom and her eye of its
light
The Judge was eloquent at all times.
But when his round pate glistened from
le effects of good punch, and his theme