St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-12-22

Down at the corner Uncle Tom
stopped for moment, and asked a
neighbor to go to the village and tell
the doctor to come to the little wooden
house as quick as he could.
Willie was so excited that he could
hardly wait until Ponto stopped at the
cottage, to jump out of the sleigh, and
rush in to find his mother.
Oh, it was so cold and dreary in that
little room that Uncle Tom had anOth
er dreadful coughing spell behind his
red silk handkerchief as soon as he
came in.
1t didn't take two minutes to start
the wood blazing In that little stove.
The stove apparently understood just
what was expected of it, for it grew
red-hot right away, and made the room
warm as fast us it could.
Mrs. Dawson opened her eyes in
wOnderment when Willie cuddled up
close to her and began to tell all that
had happened. She had slept all the
time he had been away, and was feel
ing little better; but she was SO weak
and feverish that Aunt Sue would not
let her say word until she had swal-
lowed some of the currant wine, and
had taken a cup of the chicken broth.
which was already hubhling on the
stove.
When the doctor came he looked
very serious at first, as he took ont his
great gold watch and studied it intent
ly, while he held Mrs. Dawson's wrist,
but in moment more he strOked Will
lies golden curls and made the boys
heart dance with delight when he said
there was nothing the matter with his
mother except Overwork and lack of
nOurishing food, and that she would be
well i'll IL few days, only, as he told
Aunt Sue afterward, if she had staid
i'll that cold wretched room many hours
longer she would have been past all
help.
And now Aunt Sue had private
talk with the doctor, during which he
nodded his head several times, and
was heard to say, "Just the thing it
won't hurt her Bit which made
Willie wonder very much what it was
all about.
Well, the result of it was that Uncle
! Tom and the doctor arranged all the
blankets and shawls in the big sleigh,
while Aunt Sue dressed Willie's moth
er i'll the flannel wrapper and great fur
cloak, which covered her from head to
foot. Then Uncle Tom lifted her in
his big strong AIMS and laid her gently
in the sleigh, and soon POnto was
| speeding away for the farm house.
with Aunt Sue, who had her arms tight
around Mrs. Dawson, and Uncle Tom
with Willie cuddlcd down between his
knees.
When they arrived, how Lucindy
did fly around to make things cOmfor-
table! Mrs. Dawson was put in the
great four-post bed in the room open
ing out of the south parlor. And when
she said how sorry she was to make so
much trouble, Aunt Sue only kissed
her, and went Immediately to the clos
ct to get another tumble for Willie.
'Just to think of that pretty cretm
and that boy astarvin' right under our
very eyes !" said Lucindy. "But they
amt starVin' now, that's sure ~
You never saw such day as it was
i'll the old farmhouse. The sunbeams
danced in through the windows, and
the great brass candlesticks on the
mantel-pieces caught them and danced
| them back into all the corners of the
room.
Before dinner-time Willie had been
all over the barns with Uncle Tom, fed
| POnto with apples, and made acquain-
tancc with all the cows. He helped to
dig the snow away from the hen-hOusc
door, and Uncle Tom solemnly assured
him that without his help he didn't be
lieve he could have got that door open
till spring, which made Willie feel very
happy and important.
81 guess can do lots of things round
the barn." said Willie.
Uncle Tom said he was sure of it,
and if Willie was there he didn't think
he should need to hire any man to help
about the haying next summer. Then
he laughed very loud, as he looked
down on the wee mite of Il boy, and
picking him up, set him astride of his
broad shoulders, and strOde off through
the snow toward the house.
1t was wonderful what way Uncl,
Tom had of making everybody around
him feel happy.
1t was almost time to light the can
dies when Madge and her husband anC
the four boys arrived. Uncle Ton
brought them from the station, ant
they filled the sleigh SO full that h'
had to get Sam EmmOns to bring along
the trunks, and some large and very
mysterious looking packages whicl
Madge said must he handled very care
fully.
Mrs. Dawson was already feelin.
well enough to sit bolstered up in
, great chair by the fire, and with til,
ri, Of hnn h.r h..
gan to look like il young and very pret
ty woman.
But the best of all was when Madg,
came into the room. She gave on
look at Mrs. Dawson, and then she raj
and threw her arms around her neck
and for the next five minutes all yol
; could hear in that room was "Oh, Hat
: tie !" and "Oh, Madge :" until Aunt Su
. didn't know what to make of it.
Then Madge, laughing and crying Il
the same time, explained that this wa
Hattie Shaw, her dear, dear, dear oil,
= companion at boarding school, whom
she had talked about so much, and al
ways wondered where she had vanishe,
to, and Aunt Sue declared that such
remarkable thing never happened il
5 the world before, and that il couldn'
have happened now if it had been an
, time i'll the year except Christmas s-evt
l Then Madge had to kiss and squeez
Willie, until his little checks were al
most purple. And the next thing sh
: did was to open one of the trunks, an
1 get out warm wOOllen suit of boy
clothes, which fitted Willie as if the
I had been made expressly for him.
l Somehow il came to he understOo
,: among them all right away that Will
and his mother would go on livingat til
l old farmhouse just as if they had al
}. ways belonged there. Aunt Sue main
tained that ever since Madge got maj