The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-12-23
A Christmas Tablaaa Viyant.
By WILLIAM II. BUSHNELL
"Jerusalennr

y 49, -
Gas If 1 didn't know thatl Haven't
been making preparations for it for
more than q week? CRtpb me without
, mince-pies and fried cakes and cranberry
Jelly and great, bouncing turkey?" and
she smiled complacently at the thought
Of the good things already prepared.
''And never thought Of it until Just
now=beenT so busy, Ena know he
apologized, as if In reality he had been
guilty Of some great crime.
''WelL it don't matter, Job; and I
wouldn't worry about it.for have taken
care Of everything. for. the blessed day
and Minerva will be home from teaching
school Poor child howshe must suffer
this weather, sleeping IN cold rooms
and like as not without feather-bed
and"
'Its all her own fault, Hannah. The
good Lord knows we have plenty for her
and half a dozen more, landh she will
persist in wearing herself out in teaching
other peoples brats, then"
"WhRt then2 questioned merry
voice, as a pretty, rosy piece Of mischief
came bounding into the room, shaking
the snow from her long, golden eurls,
and running up to her father, fairly
smOthered him for q moment with kisses
and then darted away, laughing, to her
mother, tYined her arms about her neck
and greeted her as warmly.
Jerusalem exclaimed the old man
as soon as he could regain his breath,
though with his honest lace flushed with
Joy and his lips quivering with emotion,
tor his daughter was indeed as the apple
OF his eye and the one thing upon earth
altogether lovely
MY dear, precious lamb, whispered
the fond mother, through tears of bappi-
ness, as with busy fingers she removed
the Jaunty little cap, furs. cloak and
! gloves, ''to think you have come safe
| .ly back to me once more and"
Now, D interrupted thegirl. ST should
like tOsknOw what father was talking
about when I caInein. .
- $50 unexpected" said the mother
owe did not look for you until to-mor-
row night.
",Oh, had a chance to ride home"
replied the girl, blushing, "and got per-
mission to let out school But you were
! talking about me, father?"
] Well, yes, he answered with a nner-
I ry twinkle in his eyes, 'and I was about
/ to say when you came rushing in like
! young bear-about to say. thOuqb mind
dudn that II you kept on teaching
other peoples brats you wouldn't have
strength to teach your pwn--when YOU
get them, and he laughed loudly at the
changed expression of her face.
! For shame, responded Minerva.
But i Il pay you for that, father. Re-
member, 1 am ayOung lady now, and YOU
cant Joke with me with impunity. as
yOu once did"
a young lady? Whew And I SUD-
pose some young gentleman put him
self to immense trouble to bring vou
home through the cold and storm and
didn't forget to collect toll at all the
bridges. Aren't your lips sore, daugh-
ter?7
The girl coIored still more deeply, and
hustled around to help her mother set
the table for dinner, that she might es-
cape the teasing; but her father enjoyed
it too much, and asked:
'TWho was it, child? Some Of them
scape-gra clerks from Beaverton, I'll
| be bound.
You know 1 never associate with
them, " she responded Indignantly. ''Mr.
Frank Emmons brought me home. "
"O-h?" with low whistle. eyes,
he is a nice and proper young man, and
has such pretty black hair and eyes, and
teeth and mOustache, and such white
hands, and sings like half dozen angels
and walks so gently" and the old gentle
man arose and strutted mincingly around
/ the room in burlesque imitation Of the
attendant Of his daughter.
Minerva could not but laugh, yet pre-
tending to take no notice, glided about
arranging the dishes, and her mother
asked where the young man was.
''I know, said her father, answering
the question for her. 'Our daughter
has rolled him up in pink cotton and
sprinkled him with cologne and put him
in bandbox for fear he will get mussed. L"
''He will be here Christmas Eve, in
terrupted Minerva, With strong effort
at sObriety; che and a number Of others.
I knew you would not care, father, If 1
invited them"
Not I, answered the old man heart
ily, and taking the curly head between
his broad palms he drew her tenderly to
him and kissed the rosy and dimpled
cheeks. You are truly our one lamb,
and everything viii some day be yours.
Yes. you did perfectly right, and it viii
be pleasant to have the house filed with
young folks and have a rousing, merry
time. That is how Christmas ought to
be kept"
"We are going to have ta5Zea1r
UiUant8, and one Of them viii surprise
you, father"
He was that already, and had about as
much conception Of what was intended
as of the lucid (?) explanations Of Her
bert Spencer of the Darwinian theory,
and for him to have repeated the words
; with the French accent given by his
child would have been an utter impOssi-
biIity, so he pretended knowledge, shook
his head sagely, gave very knowing
wink, but kept silent and soon found
that pressing business required his alb
sence.
But the doting mother was taken into
full confidence and she and Minerva had
a long, earnest and apparently deeply
interesting conversation upon the sub
= iect-one that continued for over an hour;
indeed it had not concluded when the
old man returned, for he caught the
name of the minister and asked:
''What are yon going to have Domino
Martin here for, child?"
"Oh, Just because 1 like him, and his
wife is such a dear old lady, and they
will be very lonely on such a day, with
their children all married and away from
home. Sol thought you would like to
see them, and if be is here everything
will be sure to 60 right, and it is Christ
mas, you know, and
"Hold on, for mercy's sakeP ex-
claimed her father, cor you won't have
breath enough left to eat your dinner,
and that would be very bad. F"
"But you wanted to know, and
'sYou have told me sufficient to satisfy
any reasonable mortal man, he said as
he took his place at the table and began
loading her plate as if she had been IL
danger of starvation for a month.
Dinner Over-it was one of the sub
stantial, old-fashioned kind, though the
mother had added the richest of dessert
delcacies to tempt her child, rs if there
> was no such thing as dyspepsia in the
: land-and the Deacon took an easy chail
by the broad hearth, lighted his pipe
- I,oAygsoy, E1,e oy7r1inor o1r7Irlg of sT1o1-r