The Baltimore County union., 1883-12-22

life"
eyes, l WILL" scs Miss Mary-"but
what is it ?"
"Never mind" scs /, "you hang M
n bag big enough to hold it and you u
find out what it is, when you see it in
the mornin."
Miss Carline winked at Miss Kesiah,
and then whispered to her-thcn they
both laughed and looked at me as
mischievous as they could. They
'spicioned something.
'..You'll be shore to give it to me
now, il l hang up bag" ses Miss
Mary.
"And promise to keep it," ses |.
"Well, will, cause know that you
wouldn't give me nothin that WASH I
worth keepin.
They all agreed they would hang up
bag for me to put Miss Mary's Crismus
present iDs on the back po,rh, -aS5
about ten o'clock told 'em good
evenin aud went home.
sot up till midnight, and when
they was all gone TO bed ! went softly
into the back gate, and went up to the
porch, and thar, shore enough, was a
great big mcal-hag hangin to the ice.
| IL was monstrous unhandy TO git to il,
but was termincd not to- back out
So | sot some chairs on top OF a bench
and got hold Of the rope and let my
self down into the bag; but jest as
was giitin in, 1t swung agin the chairs,
and down they went with a terrible
racket; but nobody didn't wake up
but Miss Stalliness old cur dog, and
here he come rippin and tearin through
the yard like rath, and round and round
he wen, tryin to find wha, was the mat :
ter. scrooch'd down in the bag and
didn't breath louder nor a kitten, Tor
fear he'd find me out, and after while
he quit barkin.
The wind began to blow bominable
cold, and the old bag KEEP turnin round
and swingin so il made me sea.sick as
the mischief. | was afraid to move
for fear the rope would break and let
me fall, and thar Soi with my teeth
ratilin like ! had the ager. II seemed
like it would never come daylight, and
do believe il didn't love Miss Mary
SO powerful would frozc to death; for
my heart was the only spot that felt
warm, and it didn't beat more'n two
licks mint, only when thought how
she would be surprised in the mornin,
and then il went in cantcr. Bimeby
the old dog come up on the porch and
begun to smell about the bag, and then
he barked like he thought he'd tresd
something. "Bowl WOW WOW !" scs
he. Then he'd smell agin, and try to
git up TO the bag. "Gii QUIT" scs /,
very low, for fear the gals mough,
hear me. "Bow wow" ses he. "Be
gone you bominable fool" ses |, and |
felt all over in spots, for spected every
minute he'd nip me, and what made it
worse, didn't know whar abouts he'd
take hold. "Bow WOW WOW !" Then
l tried coaxin-"Comc here, good
fellow" ses !, and whistled little to
him, but il wasn't no use. Thar he
stood and KEEP up his evcrlastin whinin
and barkin, all night. couldn't tell
when daylight was breakin, only by the
chickens CROWN, and ] was monstrous
glad to hear 'em, for if had to stay
thar one hour more, don't believe I'd
ever got out Of that bag alive.
Old Miss Stallins come out fust, and
as soon as she seed the bag, SEES she:
"What upon yeath has Joseph went
and put in that bag for Maryl I'll lay
it's yearin or some live animal, or
Bruin wouldn't bark At il so."
She went in TO call the gals, and
sot thar, shiverin all over so couldn't I
hardly speak il I tried to-but didn I
say nothin. Bimeby they all come
running out on the porch.
"My goodness, what is it?" ses
Miss Mary.
"Oh, it's alivel" ses Miss Kesiah, al
seed il move"
"Call Cato, and make him cut the
rope" ses Miss Carlinc, "and let's see
what it is. Come here, Cato, and git
this bag down."
"Don't hurt it for the world" ses
Miss Mary.
Cato united the rope that was round
the jice, and let the bag down easy on
the floor, and tumbled out all covered
with corn meal, from head to foot.
"Goodncss gracious !" ses Miss Mary,
"if it aint the Majcr himself!'
eyes," ses I, "and you know you
promised TO keep my Crismus presen,
as long as you lived"
The gals laughed themselves almost
to death and went to brushin off the
meal as fast as they could, sayin they
was gwinc to hang that bag up every
Crismus till they got husbands, too
Miss Mary-bless her bright eyes-shc
blushed as beautiful as a mornin glory,
and sed she'd stick to her word. She
was right out Of bed, and her hair
wasn't komed, and her dress wasn't
fx'd at all, but the way she looked pret-
~ was real distractin. do believe il
I was froze stiff, one look at her sweet
face, as she stood thar lookn down TO
the floor with her roguish eyes, and her
bright curls fallin all over her snowy
neck, would have fotched me too.
tell you what, il was worth hanging in
a meal bag from one Crismus to another
to feel as happy as | have ever sense.
went home after we had the laugh
out, and sot by the fire till got thawed.
In the forenoon all the Stallinses come
over to our house and we had one oi
the greatest Cris,nus dinners that ever
was seed in Georgia, and don't be-
lieve happier company ever sot down
to the same table. Old Miss Stallins
and mother settled the match, and
talked over every thing that ever hap
pened in their families, and laughed a,
me and Mary, and cried about theI
dead husbands, cause they wasn't alive
| IN see their children married