The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-12-12

; That's no go. Cringer; come bacl
|, aid SIT just where / found YOU" sait
the gobbler.
Oh. certainly, by all means,
trrmbled poor Christopher, still hack
ing toward the door with succession
OF respectful bows tfat threatened Il
tumble him. II would be happy O
} your company indeed, were it not tina
business calls me elsewhere, business o.
great importance, upon honor"
At (which overture the gobbler poured
forth wild, ridiculous laugh thai
caused Cringer to lesp in the air with
terror aud sent hooking echoes re-
sounding through every corner of the
thin old shunty, adding, What's the
business' The poor, suppose? Maybe
you're going to will them your Cruel
Come, old fellow, get on my back"
"Your backl" bawled the miser, Ell
think I'll do very well where am"
At this juncture his barnyard friend
took threatening stride toward him
and bristled all over in way that made
poor Cringer shake in his shoes.
as not my back fine one? I think
| \dCAO tuO SOOOlCI IuODCQ LIS GOt
slightly up the side of his nose), think,
if my memory serves me, there was q
time when you liked my back very well,
eh, boy?"
"Your Honor" faltered the miser,
thinking to fiatter his old friend by
high titles, "your Honor'll admit you
were pretty well advanced in years, and
likely to die soon. didn't eat you out
of ill-will or anything of that kind, I'll
take my oath ont. Ofcourse-." and
here he experienced sudden qualm of
the limbs. II hope, of course, sir,
you're not making that out as reckon
ing against me?"
"There's reckonings enough made out
against you," the gobbler said, signifi-
cantly. ASK me no more questions, but
do as bid you. Get on my back"
Crlnger was quite certain now that,
to use his own expression, "'twas all up
with him."
Believing in the all-powerful agency
of money, and that even the spirit of a
defunct gobbler could be influenced by
1T, he sank on his knees, overcome by
the extremity of his feelings, and be-
sought his visitor to take shilling and
call 1t square, but the latter, before
Cringer could recover his breath,
Strengthened up, and, with fierce
plunge, mounted the distracted miser
on his back, which, instead of being
warm, as 1T appeared, was ominously
cool, and flew with him through the
roof, and up into the clouds, from which
sleet and snow were thlckly falling.
well" said the gebbler, taking
breath and balancing himself in the air,
chow do you feel, Cringer?"
"Oh, what an uncharitable question !"
gasped Christopher, convulsed in voice
and limb with the cold.
Then you wouldn't like to be with
out fire, ehl" and the gobbler lifted
his foot and gave Cringer's whisker an
insinuating pull. 1t had frozen all
around his mouth into bristlirg icicles.
"Of course 1 don't like the cold"
whined the miser, getting as angry as he
dared; "don't you see the state I am
lnP Is all this torture because 1 eat
you, 'cordin to the custom of my coun-
try?"
Here he began to tremble with such
violent chils that his cooked hat and
blouse flew off, until quite shelterless
he st bod in the blast, and then, seized
with new wonder, exclaimed:
1t strikes me your Eminence bears
this cold quite stoicallyl"a
"Oh, 1 don't feel it," said the gobbler,
with complacent look OF comfort that
caused the miser a pang of envy: az
never willfully made anyone cold when
l lived in your world, you know; that's
whyp
Indeed" said Cringer, with as
thoughtful look as his shiveripg
visage could command, shat is to me
new idea;" but his meditations we're
soon broken in upon by sudden flight
OF the gobblers, who plunged him
through the elements, circled over a
range of buildings, and, like flash.
Hew down chimney, through which
neither smoke nor heat was emitting.
Alighting in the fireplace, he bid
Cringer peep through the crack of the
fireboard.
Il can't" said Cringer; "everyone of
my whiskers are turned into sticks of
ice"
"Obey!" reiterated the gobbler, in
tones that made Cringer tremble in
spite of himself.
Whose house do you see?"
Mine, sure enough "gasped Cringer.
growing interested; "my tenement +
block, as I'm alive"
Listen awhile, and tell me what you
see?"
Cringer pressed his face so close to
the ireboard that his sharp nose pro-
truded through the crack, and ne had
hard work to pull it back again without
losing its top.
Circling around cold hearth were q
poor woman and three little children.
her husband half reclining some dis
lance apart on a meager pallet of straw,
his cheek, pale and emaciated, resting
On his hand and look of suffering in
his eye that would touch the hardest
heart.
"They are every bit as cold as you.
Cringer,' said the gobbler, drawing his
formidable bill uncomfortably near
Christopher's nose, as if dying for a
peck at it.
"Not quite, your Honor" was the
mock apology. "There's no icicles
hanging from than