The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1882-12-28
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Doyou know, my wife moved her cheer
eyes. Then she pointed out of the win
ver-mcadow,-all white with snow now.
the grave Of our little dear Mary. The
big tears was rolling down upon her
hands that's never done doing for me.
and l couldn't stand it. No. I Just took
her in my arms an laid her dear old
head against mine an says H.
"Betsey. wife! Don't you shed no
tears for any ways of mine. amt got a
a stone for = heart, if l am up an down
with folks sometimes. I'll tell you what
l thought. Thinks !, Here's Christmas
coming and there amt no baby.stockings
to fill in this old house of ours, nor no
children to stand tree fur, and maybe
twill be scrap of comfort to my Betsey
to do leetle something for another lone,
motherless gal. Wan t I right, mother,
hey"
Betsey kissed me, soft-like, on my
wrinkled old face.
~ knowed the girl wouldn't miss COM
ing back for her tree" says ], "an' left
doing anything till we'd had a talk over
it, Betsey; an if you feel like fixing the
tree for her, why I'll carry it in to.mor-
row. If it keeps her believing in provi-
dence, it's more than most of US is ado
Ing, fur all our professions"
20 John" cries my Betsev. 'You are
my good John after all. We've he'd SO
much trouble, I thought you was getting
hard and money-making."
was up early the next morning, get.
ting ready to go into town with the mar
ket-wagon. Everything was packed, as
hxH 7
few everlastings on top of the load, when
saw Betsey coming with hemlock-
rs purity and Trim leetle one IS lady
out Of 4 drawing-room would want.
"That's beauty, wife," says I, "whar
did you git it," wondered, because we
had to 20 quite a distance into the fields
for them evergreens.
She took me by the arm an led me to
the corner OF the porch, an pointed over
10 the ieetie Wnlte grave agln.
She he'd cut down the hemlock we had
planted over our baby!
didn't say nothing. Icouldn't,-but
took the tree that Betsey laid in my arms
as II it was human crcetur, almost, an
says
'.lts all right. You was led to do it ,
wife: It'll be a blessing to the living
from the dead"
The last saw of Betsey's face, as I
drove away, it was a-smiing at ME from
the window; an whistled cool bite
OF the way over to town. It did seem
as i! there never was brighter sun,
come up, an the clean snow on the road
side glistencd an sparkled in the morn
ing rays, as if it, too, was glad for the lit
tie girl.
Well. I had got my load of from the
wagon, and was just setting up couple
Of green's, when I kHowed the gal was
coming. l heard them shoes Of hers
an then saw her eyes latin round tn
corner Of my stall.
''Good-morning, mister" she said.
"You amt forgot me, have your"
IF | had. l reckon I'd never have the
heart to sell another Christmas tree" I
thought to myself; but | said aloud. ~
bring your coppers2'
''Oh, yes, mister; wouldn't have for
got them,n che says, opening her leetle
fingers. I'll declare if 1 don't believe
she'd slept all night squeezing them in
her hand, SO to have them ready.
took the two cents,-yes I did.
wanted that ere child to think she was
buying that tree. A gal that pays fur
things as she goes, won't be apt to want
what don't belong to her for nothing.
My Betsey wouldn't have done it, but
I was right.
Then / took out the tree. We'll, I
wish you could have seen the gal laugh.
-curls, eyes, an teeth! An then she
rolled up them overcoat sleeves, an held
out her arms jest as if it was a baby she
was going to take into 'em. An when
I'd laid it Whar she expecting me to, thar
want an atom Of her to be seen. She
was clean covered w. But all the time
l could hear her laughing to herself, an
every leetle while she'd lug the boughs
till they'd culver all over a. if they was
human, an know'd how she loved 'em.
l was forgetting my stall entirely when
she said from behind her tree
"Thank ye, mister! It's nice one
fur two cents. / know there'll he some-
what it is. Goodby"
1t took her longer to git out with her
load than it did TO dance in without it,
to ask her whar she lived. She hol;ered
back the number OF the miserable place,
au' wrote it down, an that was the last
of the gal for that day.
Betsey was waiting Impatient to hear
what had to tell her, when got home
at night, and she wiped her eyes agin,
but thar was smile round her mouth
Well, I've a'lus kissed that SMILE
ever since the day We were married,
forty years age, an when l give her
that slip of papcr-that told whar' the
gal lived-she TUX itan' put it inside the
big old Bible we allus kept our Mary's
lock Of hair in, along with the births and
deaths.
When see my wife do that. know'd
thar was more in her mind than she'd
spoke out to me. But allus give my
Betsey time, an in the end she agrees
with me an I agree with her.
So it came the day before Christmas,
an thar hadn't been much more said
about the gal and her Tree; but one
morning, after Petsey had got me
right down good breakfast, an / was
wrapped up ready to start for market,
up she came, an putting her arm in mine
she says
'John, It's Christmas tomorrow, an
you haven't forgotten that leetle gal,
have ye?"
mo, wife," says I.
Il know" she goes on, patting my
cheek; II know. But John dear, I am
feeling so about that child. Ishan't rest
till I've done my mite towards her tree.
Why can't so in towards evening,-you
waiting fur mean both on us 20 look
her up? tell you, John, she'll be
watching and waiting as those of old
watched for the star o'Bethlehem.
Besides, dear" she said kinder softly,
there's our baby in heaven. Maybe
she's making her Christmas on earth
through this poor homeless belivin'
lamb"
No man could resist that. Betsey's
heart was in her eyes, so says.
"Of course you'll go wife, an God bless
you for thinking of it. You come in, an
we'll see that the Lords tree amt
empty"
At five o'clock that afternoon Betsey
joined ME in town. She was allus well
come in the market. Folks had s,ft
way with her; an when she told some
OF the women at the oils about the gal
an her tree, they give my wife some
thing all round, and Betsey herself TUX
a lot of apples an some honey, an
hurried a few notions fur her in my big
pockets, an away to Pin Alley we went.
Tie house that gal lived in was like
plenty of others, dirty, an cold, an
Tho 70 vas siphfs To he seen in omen doors