The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-23

tl1S w UcSlA WALLS sAO AOoAu
she had got four miles out Of her way.
She could find no one to put her right,
the snow was preventing her from walk
ing at half the pace she had hoped to
walk, and she could not in any way get
to her work at the time she had promised
to be there. She was a strong, coarse
featured woman; evidently very poor,
and not at all sentimental. But she did
not beg, either directlyor indirectly. She
was evidently careful to avoid 1t. She
warmed herself by the fire, but when
pressed also to sit down and eat, she said
no, with many thanks, and begged us to
direct her on her way as well as we could,
which we did.
Before she went she took out her little
aurse and counted her small
capital. She asked us what we thought
be the railway fare from Banbury
to Leighton, and we told her as near as
we could guess. Then she shut her
purse and shook her head in a way that
said she must walk it all. But being
pressed to take some little help to make
up the fare tor this part of the journey,
she took it-not without reluctance.
Only once her courage seemed to fail
her. When my sisters little boy, a rosy
little fellow, eighteen months old, sud.
dedly began crying to go to her, she
took him into her arms, kissed him, and
cried over him, thinking, no doubt, of
her own little ones and their loneliness
at this happy Christmas time.
CHAPTER II.
POOR BERTHE.
If Kitty had not been the very best
little mare that ever drew a wagon be-
hind her, she never would have got to
Thornly station. It had given up snow
ing and the sun was shining q little. So,
as we thought there would be room
enough, coming back, I was tempted to
brave the weather and go down with
Sam to meet the train.
For thirty years there had been no
such snow-storm known in this part IF
the country. As we drove along If ]
should not rather call it plowlng-the
corr rlcks showed like so many tumuli.
Even the highest hedgerows. could only
be traced as long, sharp ridges, for the
snow had drifted against them till all
was UuA1Cu 6dSO uC1C II .luVlO u NACC.
There was a mile of common land, newly
enclosed, which we had to cross, and
here where all was level, and the fences
were low, it was simply one great
stretch of white, where to keep the road
was no easy matter.
Thanks mainly to the necessity of run
ming extra trains at Christmas time, GU,
branch line had with great difficulty
been kept open. The trains were run,
ming, and the train for which we had tc
wait was not more than a quarter Of ar
hour late.
Long before we saw them we could
hear our young folks. They were chat
fling the station master, advising him t
600 to Jerlcho," to "iump up and to d.
other things which certainly form no par
of a station masters ordinary duties.
Driving home was hardly any easie
a task than driving out had been. Fo
though we certainly had our own tract
to drive back upon there was the adde'
weight of five icy passengers, whic]
even to Kitty was no joke OF such a da,
as this. The boys. however, declared ]
splendid, and the more likelihood Their
was of our sticking fast, the more splen
did they declared it, the more glad the
we're to jump out behind, and, unde
p~retence Of pushing the wagon, roll eac
other in the snow, and put nov ball
down each others backs. On our wa
home we met two or three other vehicle!
and at all cross roads could see ths
heavy as had been the snow, it had nc
been heavy enough to keep people il
doors who had the excuses of hospitalit
1 for going ut
Home at last, just as the shades {
night were falling rapidly, and just
the freight began to redden the windo
panes. Then the hustle of hand-shakin,
kissing, %uncoatlng, and fnger-warmin,
Then the first general inquiries abo,
school, and lessons, and prizes, abol
skating and sliding. about home an
home friends. All these things we
g over, and the lads were sitting or stant
l ing round the fire, while Helen and
wore busy with our decorations, twistin
, wreaths of holly round the pictures an
t mirrors, and pr.cking our fingers ii
e they bled in doing so. Suddenly Fran
called out to Helen: "But, aunt, where
Bertie-I have not seen him?"
: "Oh, he's asleep" said Helen; "you'
/ see him and hear him too by.and by,
b Then, as if reminded by this, she left h
holly wreaths and ran upstairs to see
e all the recent noise had not walked hir
!: In a minute she was down again, ar
said: "He's not in his cot; some of the
have got him in the kitchen; RIM, Fran
8 and fetch him."
y Soon Frank was back again, and bat
without the baby. Then the meth
n began to run about the house searchin
and to grow uneasy. One Of the maic
however, had been sent some half-ho
e ago to a neighbours, and was expect
back directly. 1t was presumed, thou,
p no one had seen her take him. that s
o had the baby with her. In a few minut
she came in-and knew nothing Of baI
d Berthe.
le Bnby BERTHE was eighteen months o.
g and had Just discontinued crawling a
taken to walking. His little feet we
d for eve pattering from room to roo
re His little hands were for ever layi
,e hold Of friendly skirts and coat-,ai
His little legs were forever carrying b:
s)Ow1v nm cfairo ond h;~ ~,