Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-12-26


COWS while the other prepared breakfast, ant
old Gideon Lane, now man of seventy en-.
jOyed half an hour Of comfortable idleness il
his hickory arm chair in the dining. room i
was Susan's turn to milk but when the tim,
came she begged Lydia Maria TO take hei
place She had not slept WELL and was suf
fering from q slight headache, she said
which was, indeed, the exact truth, for, dur
ing the night she had arisen from her bed
opened the back door and admitted two meI
who bore a bulky object TO the parlor, where
it was silently deposited. The key of the
room was in Susan's pocket; everything safe
so far: but the fear of being detected during
the act, and the sleeplessncss which followed
had taken away little of her robust strength
If she had appeared too flushed the previou,
day, she was too pale now and Lydia Maria
tried to remember whether this was another
symptom of the typhus.
As tine red dawn frightened into clear gold,
and the cumps Of bare ash and maple trect
along the edges Of the meadow began to de.
tach themselves from the dark, formless mass
of the landscape, jeremiah stood at the sta.
ble-door. Looking at the sky, he remarked
to himself that it was going to be n beautiful
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 Christmas. His proposal, the nf-
ternoon before, although postponed by Lydia
Maria's elder authority, nevertheless satisfied
his sense of justice; Susan, henceforth,
should not always give them the holiday, but
they would take turns in giving it TO her
Jeremiah's brain 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, according to
old habit, upon the back Of Harry, the near
plough horse but, surely, that was not
Harry's back 1t was nearly hand higher,
and the hide had different quality Utter
ly bewildered, he groped his way in the dark
stable to the head of the animal the stifT,
smooth leather betrayed to his touch, new
halter. He united the rein, led the horse
more by instinct than by reaSoning-out of
the stable, and, 10 there WAS new crea-
turc, stalwart strong limbed bay, with
large, intelligent eyes jeremiah was so as
founded at this phenomenon that he stood
dumb, thunder struck. The horse suifled at
him curousy. and then he first noticed a
piece of paper attached to the head stall. He
tore it of, and read these words in a large,
awkward unknown hand: "MynRme is Bob (;
belong to Jeremiah Lane :"
What Jeremiah said must not be written.
Tho words were forced out Of him by sur
prise, but they had profare 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 prohibited by the custom of the neighbor-
hood. 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 stupor by
piercing scream from Lydia Maria. This
was a thing which had not happened for ma
ny years, and it came upon him (as he after
ward said like a streak O lightning"
Jerry oh, Jerry, do come here"
The tone in which she uttered the words
denoted great surprise possibly anguish.
He rushed into the stable, hurredly fastened
hGfosg' is6Gf bsssdtt5r n%Gc;il '"eep&pa9c "Pfd
horses stable from the cows asking. while
on the way whats the matter, Liddy-
Marin p
oh Jerry, just look at that! :" she answer
ed But now her voice was faint aud weak
She stood in the stable, beside the cow with
her milk pail on the litter, held firmly be
tween her rigid feet.
Look at what 2" said he but, even as
she spoke, lie saw, indistinctly, that the ia
miliar COW, Spot had shrunk in her proper
tions; that her dappled red and white sides
had changed into an even, dim mouse -co olor ;
that her horns had grown short and her muz-
zle slender. "Well. I'll be" he began, but
did not finish the sentence.
"Who is she? How did she come here ?"
cried Lydia Maria. The minute took hold
Of her to milk, felt that it wasn't Spot. But
she held still she turned around and looked
at me, and / could see her big eyes in the
dark And then, somehow, got frightened.
I'm all of a tremble :"
Lets have look at her !" said jeremiah,
leading the COW from the stable into the barn
yard. The dawn had meanwhile frightened,
and each object began to take its proper col
or and distance. The beauty Of the creature
was clearly recognized by both.
AN Alderney-just what / have always
wanted :" said Lydia Maria.
Jeremiah took from the left horn q crump-
led label, smoothed it out and read My
name is Dolly; l belong to Lydia Maria
Lane"
Did anybody ever :" was all the spinster
could say.
Il see how it is, said jeremiah, after a
moments reflection. I've found a new
horse in my stable; they're both meant to be
Christmas gifts. But that doesn't make it
any easier 10 guess.
"Susan :" suggested Lydia Maria.
'No-not by any means ~ said her broth
err IF William wasn't in such fix Gathers
heard all about it, out in Colorado, it would
be like hm-but the more | think on it the
more don't know what TO make of it,"
Call father - jeremiah finally command
ed.
So old Gideon Lane was summoned to the
barn. The other cows narrowly escaped be-
ing left unmilked, aud the other horses un-
fed while the two acquisitions were turned
about and examined in the early sunlight, and
the most hopeless conjectures made in regard
TO the source from which they came. When,
finally they returned to the house, they
found Susan rather impatient. The bounti-
full breakfast was getting cold.
She was not so surprised as they expected
on hearing the wonderful news, but she as
tonished them all by suddenly bursting into
tears, and crying out And am the only
one who gets no Christmas gift this year.
Never mind, never mind :" said her faith
er, patting her kindly upon the shoulder
1--WE must try and find something for you,
too, Susan :"
Father" she answered, "there is only one
thing you can give me-" Gideon Lane said
nothing, but they were all struck by the un-
usual gentleness in his voice, as they sat at
together.