The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-12-25

wood and carried her own grain to mill,
and there was nothing to be afraid of;
only, as she would live there all alone,
so far from neighbors, mother thought
she might fall sick, or get hurt, or
something, and nobody find it out till
she suffered. So we had to go over
once in . while. But all we got in re-
turn was hard words and sneers.
Mother often went herself, in pleasant
weather. 1 guess she was rather pleas
anter to her. At any rate, mother
didn't seem to think her a bad sort of a
woman. But, then, mother always
thinks better of folks than they de-
serve.
1 broke a path up to the door, and
there she was. An old black hood
pulled down over her eyes, anda night
cap ruffle, and some kind of yellow
gray hair sticking out upder the edge
of it, round her red, bony face, redder
and bonier than ever. Her short striped
petticoat came down just below the top
of a pair of mems boots. She looked
like a Jezebel, or Witch of Endor,
more than like a woman. But l went
up to her, and took off my hat, and
said "Good-morning," as polite as you
please. like to be rather politer than
common to her; it makes her so scorn-
full.
"Well! what do you want o. me-?
S'pos'n you air all out o. breadstuffr'
she began. E
81 didn't say we were all out.
mas 'amr' interrupted her, though that
wasn't polite, know. 1 had to speak
pretty loud and fast. or she wouldn't t
have stopped to listen to me. 81 came
because mother was afraid you might
need somebody to cut wood or some
thing, now that the snow is so deep.
She looked sharp at me while said so
much; but then she turned back to the
wood pile and began to chop in a way
that made the chips fly, tell you. 1
suppose that was to show me how easy
she could cut her wood herself. After
she had worked that way awhile she
turned round and put down her ak and
said: "Come in, will YEP" So 1 went
in and sat down by the fire.
81 s'pose yer mar thought had
hands like hern, that's just fit for knit
tim and darnin' socks. and wanted a
man to do such dreadful hard work as
lire agoin'. So she sent you along,
heyP"
It's no use to remember and repeat
all the hard words Mother Cripsey said
10 nae that day. She was more insult
ing than ever, accusing me of every
kind of a mean motive in coming to in
luire for her. Ihad a great mind to
ell her Just what thought of her; and
| would but for the thought of how
mother would feel If l got downright
angry and sauced gray-headed old
as, do. think, she deserved.
But held in my temper and just de-
MED all her shameful charges. 1 swal-
lowed all the hard words 1 could we'll
stand, and then took rather hasty
leave and started for home.
On the way, as climbed over a
fence, saw something like feathers
sticking out of the snow. 1 went for
It, and pulled out quail, that had been
buried and frozen stiff.
"That's for Bob's dinnerr' said,
with Joy, and thrust my hand down
into the snow to hunt for more. Heres
for Lizzier' l said as l pulled out
And down 1 dived again.
50 Here's for mother! And here's for
Tom and Johnnyr' As three more
came to the surface in quick succession.
81 And here's for mer' 1 almost
as q rather anxious search
brought up another. Istill dug about
in the snow, and pretty soon found
one more. "For father, surelyr' 1
said.
Then I could find no more, and sat
down to rub my aching fingers. When
I had got them warm, pulled a bit of
board from the fence and dug the snow
bank all over thoroughly, and found
four more. a. s--....
"a dinner fit for king! A dinner
ct for q kingI" / cried aloud, as I
looked at the plump beauties lying be-
tore me. found q bit of string in my
pockets, and tied them all together and
slung them over my shoulder.
Didn't mothers eyes shine, when 1
came into the house with those quailsi
That was "a dinner as was a dinner"
IS Bob said. OF course, we had to 90
back to pumpkin again next day.
the change was delight
ful and made the week good deal less
trying. -,H -aalF IL
Christmas Day was Saturday. you
know. s..F '
Thursday morning mother said: ."It
l.
will get here before it storms again"
She was little pale that morning
poor mother!-though she spoke just as
cheerful as ever. knew and Bob
knew the pumpkin wouldn't last till
Christmas Eve. But nobody talked
about that.
It began to snow at nightfall. 1 had
,ut up the last stick. of wood, and it
was piled up inside the fireplace. We
had stove in front of the fireplace,
and the pipe ran into the rude stone
chimney.
1t showed all night, suppose. When
we walked in the morning no light came
in at the little square window. knew
it was morning, because the clock
struck eight just after 1 walked. We
had got in the way of sleeping very late
to save the fire. 1 could Just
see where the window was. Icalled to
.-Gr-TR ~..F.
In the daytime there was but one
room in the dug-out; but at night a cur
tain was drawn 4cross one end, that
divided, off q corner that we called
mothers bedroom.
She answered: /" Yes, William, I'm
awake"
"We're showed in, guess, mother"
"It looks like it." she said. Build
the. fire and will come out directly"
1 got up and dressed myself. Bob
walked while was dressing, and asked
me what I was getting up in the night
for. ! told him it was morning, but we
were showed in. So he got up, too.
I went to the door, to see if 1 could
open it. 1t opened easy enough: but a
bank of snow was all there was to be
seen. believe turned white. know
1 shook as people do with the ague.
Ten sticks of wood tor fuel, one half q
candle for light, and about pumpkin
for two meals. These were our
and we were showed in.
Mother came out. She was paler than
but calm and brave as ever.
Lets have fire, boys, quickly, and
we will have breakfast soon. l feel
sure father will come to-day"
She lighted our one piece of candle.
couldn,t spaaE There waa q proat