Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-06

80 ~
stock they had been accustomed to
With "a clucs, and a crack of hi
miniature stockwhip, the boy nent tn,
big horbe Cff ut u swing gsllLp, anC
slap over the fence Il the paddock
Returning as calmly as If he had beer
doing the most proper and natural
thing in the world, young Fiibber.
tlgibbet observed, "Your horse don't
jump smiss, stranger, though 1 DOM
think much of the big 'uns in u gen.
erai way
"Get away with zee, you young
scamp" cried the grandfather, aud
then they all went into the cottage.
Great were the preparations, Green
boughs and flowers adorned the wal :
and roof, in brilliant yet imperfect
imitation of holly boughs ana mia.
tlet1e.
The hostess, a handsome, middle.
aged woman, had given up active ser.
vice to n crowd of daughters, grand
daughters, neighbors and friends,
who surrounded her. She nat AZ
oase in an Indian cane chair until
she ia and came forward to greet the
strangers.
"Who could have thought" ob.
served Martyr, "that II would have
been possible to be DO comfortable in
the bush!'
A great shout Of "Here comes Aunt
Mary !" brought every one out into the
v.T.ndah, and slowly trolling up to
the aoor came q high wheeled do2-cart
landau, in which sat, beside the drlv.
err, a f.ir-haired young Australian, Of
The true colonial type. Aunt Mary
was q pretty woman, in q fashionable
light mourning bonnet. Her double
parasol looked not n little homogeneous
and droll amid such wild scenery.
Two varmint little boys, 10 sky blue
plaids and kits, were perched bahind
the dray. Here we are" cried Aunt
Msry's husband; "did the last hundred
miles In two dsys-not bad work for
Bush ROADS Now, young ones, who'll
help to see what we've brought from
town." There was atremendous rush
at the boot of the dog.cart. A cry of
"Uncle Dick and Aunt Sally" made a
slight diversion; but, rs these new
comers came on horseback, and brought
nothing but a few head of game, the
dog.cart proved the more attractive.
BY this time guests dropped in thick
and threefold.
1t is a rather degrading confession
for poor human nature, but Christ.
mas Day, anywhere, would be very
blank without the eating and drink.
ing, This ia especially 30 in the Bush,
whore there are no old associations to
fall back upon. So our friends, lesv.
ing the relations to exchange news,
walked about shifting the various de.
lightful odors that arose from the do,
tached kitchen, where an old woman
and a sailor cook quarrelled and
worked away with extraordinary
unanimity.
Instead of romantic, sentimental.
condolences, the conversation OF oul
two young squa!ters ran on more sub.
ntantial topics: "BY Jove, Bullar, did
you see tue uChlt p's!
"No, but | api5a the pudding. Il
fills the largest copper. Did you heal
the hutkesper asking for a shirt
sleeve to boil the mems dumping,
in2'
"No; but l saw him walking dowr
the servants hui with a gteat side Of
beet"
well we have dropped into clover
but what a pretty girl Is che one o.
the daughters 2"
AT length, as the sun was descend
Ing, dinner hour arrived; it having
been deferred some time, much to tn,
ire of the cooks, in order to give every
expected guest a chance.
When Martyr exclaimed carelessly
"What a pretty girl p he registered
VOW to sit beside her at dinner--ant
he kept it, During the repast his at
tentions TO Miss jane Paige we're un,
re emitting. All the news which they
were possessed of had to DO retailed
entirely by Bullar.
When the repast was v o the old
patriarch rose to make his accustomed
grafton:
"And now, my children and
vriends," he said, "let us drink a
Merry Christmas and u Happy New
Year to all absent vriends, and espec-
tally all vriends over the waiter. !
drink it with all my heart; though
yet leight years ago l little thought
lot Ito be able to have such a party
round mt o. Christmas day. Eight
years ago I left Devon a beggar and
an outcast. But now, thanks be to
the Lord, l know all was for the best"
Three days after ward, as Bullar and
Martyr rode back together, the former
exclaimed, "Strange country this,
where beggars get on horseback and
don't ride to the devil"
"Of course not" cried Martyr,
''don't you see why it is! A man
cant take 80 long a journey double,
and a wife Is his salvation in this
country"
"When do You mean to be saved,
thenl"
Martyr blushed. There was an awk-
ward pause. Buliar muttered some-
thing about love at first sight, rapid
courrships, etc. when Martyr broke
out with; "Well then if, when you
return homo to England, you'll prom
Use not to break 1t too abruptly to my
aunt, LADY Pimminey, I'll confde to
you that 80"
"Whatl" gasped Bullar, with of.
fected surprise at what he knew he
was going to hear.
81 mean to marry Jane Paige!"
"And she"
"Intends- il eyes do not fash false
hoods, and bushes are not perjuries
dyed crimson-to marry me-"
Sure enough when Bullar returned
to this country, he had to report that
Miss Jane Paige had become Mrs.
Martyr. She and her spouse
spent every succeeding Christ